lit* 

m 




■lit HBHBn„. 

Em H HHh 



glgS 








: SHI MBn 

llll IliiiiiiilF iihii I i' ml 1 




■na 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



1 



dSfyap iojujrigfrt Ifiu 

JAzs 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



DAY-DAWN OF CMRISTIANTY; 



OR, 



The Gospel in the Apostolic Age. 



' BY 

REV. THOS, M, MCCONNELL, A.M., 

Author of "A Week With Jesus," etc. 



n 



77' d 




NASHVILLE, TENN.! 

Publishing House of the M. E. Church, South. 

Sunday-school Department. 
J. D. BARBEE, AGENT. 

1888. 



A'' 7 



jfi%t\ % 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1888, 

Ky the Book Agents of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



TO MY A GED MOTHER, 

WHO TAUGHT ME THE ALPHABET OF RELIGIOUS TRUTH IN 
YEARS GONE BY, AND 

TO MY BELOVED WIFE, 
MY PRESENT FAITHFUL AND EFFICIENT " HELPMEET " 
IN ALL LIFE'S LABORS, THIS BOOK IS AFFECTION- 
ATELY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR. 

(3) 



PREFACE. 

The author's apology for adding another book to 
the almost limitless number already published, upon 
well-nigh every phase and feature of religious truth, 
is the earnest hope that the interesting and impor- 
tant subjects which he has endeavored to compress 
within these few pages will be investigated by many 
who have neither the time nor the taste to read more 
voluminous works, though prepared by far abler 
pens. He makes no pretensions to originality, but 
has endeavored to study the inspired history in the 
light of the best helps within his reach, and has not 
hesitated to borrow ideas from every available source. 
With the earnest prayer that the " Sun of righteous- 
ness " may illuminate these pages, and thus make 
them a means for disseminating the light of the glo- 
rious gospel, they are sent forth upon their mission, 
and commended to the charitable consideration of the 
Christian world. 
(4) 



CONTENTS. 

Chapter I. page 
Introduction 7 

Chapter II. 
The Early Morning of Christianity 17 

Chapter T 
Christ's Promise Fulfilled ". 29 

Chapter IV. 
The First Gospel Sermon 37 

Chapter V. 
Peter's First Miracle 49 

Chapter VI. 
Persecution Commenced 60 

Chapter VII. 
Hypocrites Punished 75 

Chapter VIII. 
Trials and Troubles of the Church .\ 82 

Chapter IX. 
The First Martyrdom 97 

Chapter X. 
The Gospel and Persecution 109 

Chapter XI. 
Saul of Tarsus 126 

Chapter XII. 
The Persecutor a Preacher 143 

Chapter XIII. 
First-fruits from the Gentiles 153 

Chapter XIV. 
The Fruits of Persecution 168 

Chapter XV. 
Persecution Kenewed 178 

(o) 



6 Contents. 



Chapter XVI. 1>AGE 
Beginning of Foreign Missions 188 

Chapter XVII. 
First Missionary Tour Completed 205 

Chapter XVIII. 
Conference at Jerusalem 217 

Chapter XIX. 
Paul's Second Missionary Tour 228 

Chapter XX. 
The Gospel in Europe 238 

Chapter XXI. 
Progress of the Gospel in Europe 260 

Chapter XXII. 
Paul at Athens * 272 

Chapter XXIII. 
Paul at Corinth 288 

Chapter XXIV. 
Paul's Third Missionary Journey . 302 

Chapter XXV. 
Paul at Ephesus 312 

Chapter XXVI. 
Paul's Winter of A.D. 58 330 

Chapter XXVII. 
Paul's Address to the Ephesian Elders 343 

Chapter XXVIII. 
" Homeward Bound " 356 

Chapter XXIX. 
Paul at Jerusalem 365 

Chapter XXX. 
Paul at Cesarea 31)3 

Chapter XXXI. 
On the Way to Rome 41 5 

Chapter XXXII. 
Paul at Rome 433 



DflY-DSWN OF CHRISTIANITY. 

CHAPTER I. 

INTRODV C TION. 

THE origin of moral evil is one of the un- 
solved, and perhaps unsolvable, problems. 
We know where sin originated, but cannot tell 
how or why. We know that it originated in 
heaven, in the mind and heart of the highest 
perhaps of all the angels — the one who stood 
next to God himself in power and influence; 
and it may have been the ambition to rise one 
step higher and become equal to God that 
caused his expulsion from the divine presence. 
At any rate, we know that after his banishment 
from heaven he found his way to earth and be- 
came instrumental in securing the ruin of the 
human race. How a being hedged in by every 
possible safeguard, as man was, could fall must 
perhaps ever remain shrouded in mystery; and 

why God permitted him to fall can never be 

(7) 



8 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

fully answered. We can conjecture, but that 
is all. Perhaps it was that he might have a 
suitable opportunity to display his mercy — that 
noble characteristic of his nature w^hich has 
been styled his "darling attribute," but con- 
cerning which nature gives not even the slight- 
est intimation; and so if it be, as some suppose, 
that each of the myriad worlds which garnish 
the midnight heavens has for its mission the 
manifestation of some particular feature of the 
divine nature, then to earth has been given the 
high honor of illustrating God's mercy, as it 
holds up the bloody cross with its vicarious 
victim before the wondering gaze of an inter- 
ested universe. 

But whatever the object God had in permit- 
ting man to sin, he has graciously overruled 
the fall both for his own glory and man's good; 
and so redeemed humanity is now exalted to 
heights of privilege and pleasure of which 
Adam never even dreamed, for at his very best 
estate he was but a subject and a servant, 
whereas the Christian is a son of God, and con- 
sequently, in point of dignity and honor, stands 



Introduction. 9 



second only to God himself. Redeemed and 
regenerated man will thus occupy a position 
far above angels, who will be but messengers 
and " ministering spirits," whereas the Chris- 
tian is a member of the divine family and an 
heir of the heavenly heritage. But this high 
position is not his by virtue of any personal 
merit or inherent right, On the other hand, 
it is the sovereign gift of free, unmerited grace; 
and thus man is evidently God's favorite creat- 
ure. He has done more for him than for any 
other creature, and this favoritism began to 
manifest itself from the very earliest period of 
man's existence; for not only was he originally 
" created in the divine image," but no sooner 
was that image marred by sin than God set 
about to restore it. No study can therefore be 
more interesting than that which relates to the 
developments of divine grace in the redemp- 
tion of sin-cursed humanity; for although we 
cannot fully solve the problem of man's ruin, 
we can easily trace the history of his restora- 
tion as we find it reflected from the pages of 
God's word; and there we find that God's plans 



10 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

for man's redemption are at least as old as Sa- 
tan's schemes for his ruin. No sooner had the 
gates of Eden closed upon the apostate than 
the door of heaven was opened for his recep- 
tion. And so, while justice utters the awful 
curse upon the guilty pair, mercy mingles with 
it a precious promise which, like a beautiful 
star, shines above the gloom that gathers 
around the wreck of fallen humanity; and 
though insufficient to dispel the darkness, nev- 
ertheless stands as a lone sentinel through the 
flight of years to guide the eye of faith and 
gladden the burdened heart. From that prom- 
ise as a text, "The seed of the woman shall 
bruise the serpent's head," God himself 
preached the first sermon, and with Adam and 
Eve as members began the organization of the 
Church, which received additional develop- 
ments and endowments from time to time, un- 
til it was finally and fully equipped for its 
mission amidst the gracious influences of Pen- 
tecost. Just outside the barred gates of Eden 
fallen man was taught how to worship God. 
There, where the divine presence was symbol- 



Introduction. 11 



ized by the "cherubim and flaming sword," he 
was given a -place of worship. There, where 
the bleeding victim blazed upon the altar, he 
was taught to read the sweet lessons of sub- 
stitution and expiation, and so received the or- 
dinances of worship; and there, as Adam was 
instructed to offer these sacrifices in behalf of 
his family, he was given a 'minister to officiate 
in his acts of worship. Thus equipped, the 
Church began its career, coeval at least with 
man's history as a fallen being. At first the 
altar fires burn here and there upon the hill- 
tops and reflect the light of the promise down 
the long line of ten generations, until it is 
well-nigh obscured by the gathering gloom of 
infidelity ; and God, in vindication of his own 
honor, determined to destroy the apostate race. 
But the world only is destroyed. The Church, 
riding triumphantly upon the crest of the death- 
dealing waves, is preserved, and to it is given 
another promise, like a second star, brighter 
and clearer than the first, while around the two 
is drawn a bow of radiant beauty as the sign 
and seal of God's covenant with Noah. 



12 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

One would naturally suppose that the sol- 
emn lessons of the flood would long linger in 
the memory of man and restrain him from his 
wicked ways, but facts prove that before the 
death of the eye-witnesses of that awful prov- 
idence the world was well-nigh as bad as be- 
fore; and so God, in order to carry out his 
purposes of grace, selects from among the idol- 
atrous nations a man whose very name has be- 
come synonymous with all that is noble and 
good. With this man he enters anew into sol- 
emn covenant and gives him as its sign and 
seal the rite of " circumcision " — the first of 
the Old Testament sacraments. Under the 
divine blessing the descendants of Abraham 
increase, both in numbers and resources. But 
the embryotic nation requires training, and so 
the hand of Providence leads it across into the 
land of Egypt, to be taught important lessons 
in the school of adversity. "When these are 
fully learned he leads forth a mighty nation, 
and under his own supervision patiently teach- 
es them by means of numerous object-lessons 
the great, important doctrines of divine wor- 



Introduction. 



ship. He thus reveals more clearly his pur- 
poses in the redemption of the race, and adds 
as a second sacrament the solemn ordinance of 
the "Passover." For forty long years Israel 
is shut out from intercourse with other nations 
and drilled in great spiritual lessons which 
God's Spirit and providence bring before 
them ; and when they are sufficiently advanced 
in a knowledge of the divine will, they are re- 
moved to the country w T hich has long been 
their promised possession. Here they are 
hedged in by providential safeguards and cer- 
emonial restrictions, in order that they may 
preserve their identity and remain a separate 
people, while all the time sage and seer reveal 
to them the oracles of God with ever-increas- 
ing clearness. But notwithstanding their ex- 
alted privileges, they become corrupt; and so 
to punish them for their sins, the hand of Prov- 
idence scatters them abroad over the world, 
and thus the knowledge of the expected Mes- 
siah is spread far and wide through the na- 
tions of the earth. One by one promises, like 
stars, have come out above the Jewish horizon 



14 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

until the whole moral firmament is bathed 
with their soft, mellow light, which, like the 
auroral glow, announces the approach of an 
auspicious day. Thus all the world assumes 
an expectant attitude. But when at last the 
" Sun of righteousness " does arise upon the 
sin-shrouded earth, his beams fall upon eyes 
that are willfully blinded, and hearts closed 
against his influence, by the fearful power of 
prejudice. His glory is obscured by the " veil 
of the flesh," and so his advent, though in 
striking fulfillment of prophecy, excites the 
bitter animosity of those who expected him to 
burst suddenly upon the world with noontide 
splendor. The birth of the Bethlehem Babe 
of obscure parentage, and amidst the environ- 
ments of poverty, was a bitter disappointment 
to those who expected his advent to be char- 
acterized by pomp and power; and his lowly 
life of toil and sacrifice still further excited 
their enmity and hatred. It was in vain that 
as the " Light of the world " he sought to dis- 
pel the darkness from their minds, because 
they "preferred darkness rather than light;" 



Introduction. 15 



and so, after long-repeated efforts to penetrate 
the gloom of prejudiced humanity, his radi- 
ance is for a time lost amidst the awful shadows 
of the cross. Still a few faint beams, like the 
dim, uncertain rays of the morning twilight, 
have fallen upon some half-awakened minds 
and hearts, thus securing for the truth a par- 
tial and imperfect lodgment. But soon the 
bright beams of resurrection glory catch the 
gaze of these partially opened eyes, and as the 
"Sun of righteousness" emerges from the 
gloom of the grave he dissipates the last lin- 
gering doubt and chases away the last obscur- 
ing shadow from these minds, until they them- 
selves become ablaze with the transcendent 
luster of the truth; and as they go forth among 
their fellows each becomes a center and source 
of light, thus spreading the truth from heart 
to heart and from house to house, until thou- 
sands are brought under its benign influence. 
The "Sun of righteousness" is the source of 
all spiritual light and the center of the great 
moral system around which his people revolve 
like satellites, just as the natural sun is the 



16 Day-dawn of Christian it //. 

source of physical light and the center of the 
solar system. To trace the spread of that lu- 
minous influence which emanated from the 
lives and labors of the first heralds of salva- 
tion, and which to-day sheds such heavenly 
luster over this sin-cursed world, is the object 
of these pages. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE EARLY MORNING OF CHRISTIANITY. 

FOR our knowledge of the " gospel in the 
apostolic age " we are indebted to a brief 
record made by Luke, and for our knowledge 
of him to a few fragmentary references in 
Paul's Epistles. From these we learn that he 
was a companion and " fellow-laborer " of the 
apostle (Philemon i. 24; 2 Tim. iv. 11), a 
"physician" by profession (Col. iv. 14), and 
most probably a Gentile by birth. He accom- 
panied Paul on his missionary tours; and as 
the apostle suffered greatly from infirm health, 
the " beloved physician " was almost indispen- 
sable to him. He was the author of two books 
— the Gospel that bears his name, and the 
"Acts of the Apostles " — which stand related to 
each other somewhat as a first and second vol- 
ume, and prove very clearly that he was a man 
of education and culture. The books are both 

dedicated to the same person, who was doubt- 
2 (17) 



18 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

less an eminent Christian, resident perhaps at 
Rome, at whose request the notes of travel of 
this first medical missionary were preserved 
and published. The title of this second vol- 
ume was doubtless chosen by the author him- 
self; and the book contains, as its name implies, 
an account of the "Acts of the Apostles," es- 
pecially those of Peter and Paul as specimens 
of the work done by the others. It begins 
with the ascension of our Lord, A.D. 30, and 
embraces the history of at least thirty years; 
so that it must have been written somewhere 
about A.D. 63, and most probably at Rome. 

After referring to the fact that his Gospel, 
or first volume, contained a history of the life 
of Christ, and what he "began both to do and 
teach," Luke intimates that his purpose in this 
second volume is to continue the history of the 
Church as the work is still carried on by the 
servants of our Lord acting under his author- 
ity and by his direction. 

In order that his disciples may become 
thoroughly acquainted with his purposes and 
plans, Christ remains w r ith them for " forty 



The Early Morning of Christianity. 19 

clays " after his resurrection, and gives them 
" many infallible proofs " of his identity. He 
met with them many times, and freely dis- 
cussed the li things pertaining to the kingdom 
of God," kindly correcting their misapprehen- 
sions in regard to the nature of that kingdom, 
and revealing to them the position they were 
to occupy in the world as " witnesses " for the 
truth. He gently rebukes their curiosity in 
regard to things which God has not seen fit to 
reveal, and assures them that he has some- 
thing in store for them infinitely better than 
such knowledge would be, for in a few days he 
will grant them the presence and power of the 
Holy Spirit to be their teacher in regard to 
the Divine will, and to make effectual their ef- 
forts in the upbuilding of the Church. Until 
this Friend should come to guide and bless 
their labors, they could accomplish nothing; 
and so he commands them to remain where 
they were, and not to suffer themselves to be 
either drawn or driven from Jerusalem until 
he should authorize them to go. He well knew 
that they would naturally wish to withdraw 



20 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

from a place where they had received so many 
insults and injuries, but he designed that they 
should make their first offer of pardon and 
eternal life to the murderers of their Master. 
Having been commissioned to preach the gos- 
pel, they would naturally desire to begin at 
once; but he well knew that it would require 
something stronger than human eloquence to 
reach the heart of sinful man, and so he com- 
mands them to w r ait until he qualifies them for 
their work. Having thus given them all need- 
ed instruction, he leads them out of Jerusalem 
along the familiar pathway toward Bethany, 
and there amid those sacred scenes on the sun- 
lit slope of Mount Olivet he is suddenly parted 
from them and received up into glory. Thus 
the seal of divine approbation is placed upon 
his life and work; and so the ascension of 
Christ is the crowning proof that the scheme 
of redemption has been finished in exact ac- 
cordance with God's holy will; and that our 
Lord was thus welcomed back to his home in 
heaven is abundantly confirmed by the testi- 
mony of eye-witnesses, for he did not disap- 



The Early Morning of Christianity. 21 



pear mysteriously while the attention of his 
disciples was directed elsewhere, but " as they 
were looking upon him " he was caught up, and 
"a cloud received him out of their sight." 
They stood gazing in amazement at the reced- 
ing form until it passed beyond the power of 
their vision; and while they were thus strain- 
ing their eyes to catch one last glimpse of their 
beloved friend, suddenly two messengers from 
the realms of glory stood before them, and as- 
sured them that their Lord would one day re- 
turn to earth in the same manner in which they 
had seen him disappear (Matt. xxiv. 30 and 
xxvi. 24; Mark xiii. 26 and xiv. 6; Luke.xxi. 
27). Thus recalled from their reverie, the lit- 
tle company tear themselves reluctantly away 
from the sacred spot, and, returning to Jeru- 
salem, enter that memorable "upper room " 
which has been so sacredly enshrined in their 
hearts' holiest affections by reason of its hal- 
lowed associations. Here, with minds wander- 
ing back over the past, and hearts looking for- 
ward to the future, they engage in earnest 
consultation. Bereft now of their Master, they 



22 Day-dawn of Christianity. 



effect a reorganization of themselves and ac- 
knowledge Peter's restoration to the apostle- 
ship. Then come next in order in the cata- 
logue of names "Jaines and John, the sons of 
Zebedee" (Matt. iv. 21; x. 2; Mark i. 19-29; 
iii. 7; Luke v. 10; vi. 14). After them ap- 
pears "Andrew, Simon Peter's brother " (Matt, 
iv. 18; x. 2; Mark i. 16-29; iii. 18; xhi. 3; 
Luke vi. 14; John i. 40-44; vi. 8; xii. 22). 
Next follows " Philip," Andrew's townsman 
(Matt. x. 3; Mark iii. 18; Luke vi. 14; John 
i, 44-49; vi. 5-7; xii. 21, 22; xiv. 8,9). After 
his name comes that of " Thomas, which was 
called Didymus," or "Twin," a disciple de- 
voted to his Master, but celebrated for his in- 
credulity (John xi. 16; xiv. 5; xx. 24-29; xxi. 
2). Next appears the name of "Bartholo- 
mew," who is supposed to be the Nathanael 
mentioned by John (i. 46-50; xxi. 2). After 
that follows the name of "Matthew r ," called 
also "Levi," and the "Publican" (Matt. ix. 9; 
x. 3; Mark ii. 14; iii. 18; Luke v. 27-29; vi. 
15). Next to Matthew stands the name of 
"James, the son of Alpheus," called the 



The Early Morning of Christianity. 23 

"Less" to distinguish him from "James, the 
son of Zebedee." He is also called the "Just," 
and was a near kinsman of Christ, if not his 
own brother (Matt. x. 3; Mark iii. 18; Luke 
vi. 15; Acts xv. 13-21; Gal. i. 19; ii. 9). After 
James is recorded the name of "Simon Ze- 
lotes," so called perhaps because of his ardent 
temper, or because of his previous connection 
with a fanatical party known as " Zealots; " he 
is also called the "Canaanite" (Matt. x. 4; 
Mark iii. 18; Luke vi. 5). And last of all is 
mentioned "Judas, the brother of James," 
called also " Lebbeus," and " Thaddeus " (Matt. 
x. 3; Mark iii. 18; Luke vi. 16; John xiv. 22). 
This is the fourth list of the apostles, and al- 
though no two of these lists agree precisely in 
the order of the names, yet, as Alexander sug- 
gests, "they may all be divided into three 
quaternions, which are never interchanged. 
Peter's name always stands first; Philip's fifth, 
at the head of the second quaternion; and 
"James, the son of Alpheus," ninth, at the 
head of the third. Thus reorganized, and 
doubtless in an official capacity, they continue 



24 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

to meet from day to day with the few congen- 
ial spirits who assembled for worship in that 
sacred "upper room," waiting for the fulfill- 
ment of their Lord's promise. Many of these 
worshipers were pious women, and prominent 
among them was " Mary, the mother of Jesus." 
This is the last time her name is mentioned in 
the sacred record, and is therefore a striking 
commentary upon the false position assigned 
her by the Church of Borne, as she tines disap- 
pears from human sight in the very act and atti- 
tude of praying to her glorified Redeemer — in 
no sense presuming to hear and answer the 
prayers of others. 

The followers of Christ thus assembled to- 
gether, including men, women, and children, 
numbered "one hundred and twenty." (Acts 
i. 15.) These, gathered under the leadership 
of the apostles, constituted the Church of the 
new dispensation. After earnest prayer and 
consultation, they determined to fill the va- 
cancy occasioned by the treachery and death 
of Judas. Peter, who was perhaps the oldest 
of the apostles, is, through the deference of 



The Early Morning of Christianity. 25 



the others, authorized to act as their spokes- 
man. Standing up in the presence of the 
Church, he recounts briefly the history of the 
traitor, and suggests the appointment of a 
successor. "With this object in view, they se- 
lect from the Church two of the brethren 
noted for their earnest piety and devotion to 
God's service. Then, after engaging in fer- 
vent prayer for the divine guidance, they sol- 
emnly appeal to God in the use of the " lot," 
in order that they may thereby know which 
of the two he has chosen to be an apostle; 
and as they cast the dice, " the lot fell upon 
Matthias, and he was numbered with the 
eleven apostles." The Church, now ready 
for work, patiently awaits the revelation of 
her Lord's will. 

The history of the life and character of 
the new apostle is compressed into the 
one brief sentence recorded above; and 
this short record of one who occupies a po- 
sition so important teaches a lesson which 
it may be well to emphasize in this day, 
when quiet, unostentatious fidelity is. un- 



26 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

dervalued, and men are measured by what the 
world is pleased to term u success." That Mat- 
thias was an earnest, faithful minister of the 
gospel is presupposed by the fact that God in 
his unerring wisdom selected him as an apos- 
tle; but that he ever became famous among his 
fellow-men we ha\e no evidence whatever — nor 
is it a matter of any consequence, for it is not 
the position that a man happens to occupy in 
the world, nor the kind of work that he does, 
that secures God's favor, but rather the mo- 
tive from which and the manner in which he 
performs his allotted task. The question upon 
which the soul's eternal destiny turns is not 
when or where, but how, life's duties are dis- 
charged. Many of God's chosen ones are "to 
fortune and to fame unknown." Their names 
are never reported in the newspapers; and 
when they quietly bid adieu to life's labors, 
and lie down to rest in the silence of the 
tomb, no high-sounding panegyric will ever be 
dedicated to their memory; no tall marble 
pillar, with conspicuous epitaph, keeps watch 
over their sleeping dust. ..... 



The Early Morning of Christianity. 27 

Truths to be Treasured. 

Christ is still carrying on all that he 
" began to do and teach " while here upon 
earth. 

Christ's resurrection is established by 
"many infallible proofs/' 

Patient "waiting" is sometimes as neces- 
sary in the Lord's cause as earnest w r orking. 

"Secret things belong to God," and man 
has, no right to pry into what has not been 
revealed. 

The Holy Ghost, who is as much a person 
as either the Father or the Son, is the source 
of all spiritual power. 

The preacher is not a philosopher to evolve 
truth, but a "witness" to attest facts. 

The Christian's mission is to " witness " for 
Christ, both by word and work, beginning at 
home. 

It is the duty of the Church to preach the 
gospel in "Judea " as well as in "Jerusalem," 
in the rural regions as well as in the cultured 
city, and to carry it "unto the uttermost parts 
of the earth." 



28 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

"A cloud " oftentimes hides the Saviour 
from disciples. 

Earnest effort is more acceptable to God 
than idle reverie. 

A day is coming when Jesus will return to 
this world in power and great glory. 



CHAPTER III. 
Christ's promise fulfilled. 

THE history of the Christian Church crys- 
tallizes around the descent of the Holy 
Spirit; or rather, that event is the real center 
from which all the other events radiate and 
borrow their significance. The Church was 
not organized at that time, for its history is 
commensurate with that of fallen humanity; 
but it then received its fullest and final equip- 
ment for its Heaven-appointed mission. Till 
then, the organization was incomplete; since 
then, the world has been living under the last 
dispensation, and this dispensation will cul- 
minate in the glory of the millennium. No 
fuller development of the Church, then, need 
be expected. It received its last installment 
of divine grace in the outpouring of the Holy 
Spirit, who will remain upon the earth to the 
end of time for the purpose of imparting to 

God's people all necessary instruction and 

% (29) 



30 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

making effective their efforts for the salvation 
of sinners. This important addition to the 
resources of the Church was made on the 
"day of Pentecost," and after the disciples 
and their godly companions had spent eight 
successive days in earnest, united, importunate 
prayer. Thus, before their Lord fulfilled his 
promise, he severely tested the faith and sin- 
cerity of his servants. The term " Pentecost " 
literally means "fiftieth," and was the name 
given by the Greek-speaking Jews to the 
"Feast of Weeks," because it was observed 
just fifty days after the Passover. It was one 
of the three great yearly festivals of the Jews, 
celebrating the completion of the harvest and 
calling to mind the promises of their covenant- 
keeping God" (Ex. xxiii. 16; xxxiv. 22; Lev. 
xxiii. 15, 16; Deut. xvi. 10), and so was a very 
appropriate time for sending the " Comforter" 
in fulfillment of the Master's promise. An- 
other reason, probably, for the selection of 
this time was because at this festival many 
foreign as well as native Jews were present in 
Jerusalem, and it was but proper that the 



Christ's Promise Fulfilled. 



same persons who had witnessed Christ's death 
at the Passover should now witness his power 
to impart life to others at Pentecost If we 
count the fifty days from the crucifixion of 
Christ, at which time the Passover occurred, 
then the two days he remained in the grave, 
added to thfe forty he spent on earth after his 
resurrection, would leave only eight between 
his ascension and the descent of the Holy 
Spirit; and if the ascension took place on Sab- 
bath, as generally supposed, then on the next 
Sabbath occurred the outpouring of the Holy 
Ghost, and thus God again sanctioned the ob- 
servance of the first dag of the week as the Chris- 
tian Sabbath; or, knowing as we do that the res- 
urrection occurred on Sabbath, then *' fifty " 
days from that time would bring Sabbath 
again; so that it was doubtless on the first dag of 
the week, as the Church ivas assembled for public 
worship, that the Master's promise was fulfilled. 
In a matter so interesting and important it is 
but natural that the historian should have re- 
corded all the details. Accordingly, we find 
that the entire Church, without perhaps a 



32 Da if -dawn of Christianity. 

single exception, were assembled for worship 
in the same memorable "upper chamber" 
with marked unanimity of heart and pur- 
pose; and while they were engaged perchance 
in earnest prayer for the fulfillment of the 
promise, " suddenly there came a sound from 
heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it 
filled all the house where they were sitting." 
The answer to their prayer came unexpectedly 
at last, although they had been anxiously 
awaiting it for more than a week. The sound 
was not made by the wind, although it resem- 
bled such a noise, and it evidently came from 
above them, descending lower and lower until 
it filled the room where they were assembled. 
To this audible sign was soon added another, 
which was addressed to the sight, for follow- 
ing the "sound" there appeared unto them 
"cloven tongues like as of fire." It was not 
fire any more than the "sound" was "wind;" 
but it resembled it? and this tongue-shaped, 
fire-like phenomenon was not a mere electric 
flash, but it remained for some time upon each 
person present as the external and visible em- 



Christ's Promise Fulfilled. 33 

blem of the Holy Spirit, and especially of the 
" gift of tongues " with which the Church was 
now endowed. These sensible signs were im- 
mediately followed by the thing signified, for 
" they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and 
began to speak with other tongues." This 
does not imply that the Spirit was never in 
the world before this time (John xx. 22), but 
it denotes a fresh manifestation of his pres- 
ence and an extraordinary measure of his in- 
fluence for the purpose of imparting super- 
natural gifts. The particular gift conferred 
at this time was the "gift of tongues," the 
design of which was to furnish credentials to 
those who were called to preach, and to pre- 
figure the ingathering of the Gentiles, whose 
excision from the Church had been typified 
by the miraculous confusion of tongues at 
Babel. 

God had provided competent and trustwor- 
thy witnesses to attest the presence and power 
of his Spirit, for drawn together in Jerusalem 
at this time to observe the Feast of Weeks 

were "Jews, devout men out of every nation 
3 



34 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

under heaven." No sooner was the strange, 
weird-like sound heard than it attracted the 
attention of the whole city, and, following the 
direction they pointed out, they found the 
Church in its individual members crowned 
with a fire-like, tongue-shaped coronet, and 
speaking in all the dialects represented in the 
promiscuous multitude gathered from the four 
corners of the earth. The brogue of the 
speakers indicated unmistakably that they 
were " Galileans," and yet they spoke without 
difficulty the vernacular of all the nations of 
the then known world. Such supernatural 
knowledge on the part of those who w r ere 
doubtless recognized as the illiterate disciples 
of the crucified Nazarene overwhelmed the 
multitude with amazement, and they began to 
inquire among themselves the cause of so 
strange a phenomenon. Some were already 
almost won to the cause of truth, but others 
sought to dissipate these serious impres- 
sions from the minds of their comrades by 
sneeringly charging the disciples with in- 
toxication, and characterizing their wonder- 



The Early Morning of Christianity. 35 

ful words as the foolish utterances of drunken 

men. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

When Christians are " all with one accord 
in one place," engaged in earnest, united, im- 
portunate prayer, the Church may expect and 
will receive Pentecostal blessings. 

Every Christian may and shall receive spe- 
cial blessings. 

God's Holy Spirit rests upon every believer, 
however humble and obscure. 

The presence of the Holy Spirit cannot be 
hid. 

The Holy Spirit gives to the believer 
a "new tongue," wherewith he speaks the 
praises of God. 

The preaching of the gospel to representa- 
tives of "every nation under heaven" was 
prophetic of what is yet to occur, when the 
"glad tidings" will be made known to all 
men. 

Some "marvel at" and adore, while others 
" mock " and despise the "wonderful works of 
God." 



36 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

God never forgets his promises. He was 
four thousand years in fulfilling the first prom- 
ise, but he never forgot it } and fulfilled it at the 
right time. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE FIRST GOSPEL SERMON. 

THE wonderful powe? of divine grace to ele- 
vate, ennoble, and transform fallen hu- 
manity -is perhaps nowhere more strikingly 
illustrated than in the history of Peter. This 
disciple, whose very name prior to Pentecost 
had become a synonym for indiscretion and 
reckless impetuosity, and bears the ineffacea- 
ble stigma of cowardice as the faithless friend 
who denied his Lord in the hour of his sever- 
est need, henceforth stands out conspicuously 
in the history of the Church as a prudent 
preacher of the gospel and a bold defender of 
the truth. He here makes his first appearance 
as a public speaker to answer the aspersion 
cast upon the Church as the representative of 
Christ. The record of Luke represents him 
as *' standing up with the eleven " upon a per- 
fect equality with the others, and acting in con- 
cert as the authoritative representatives of 

(37) 



38 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

Christ. He thus appears before the vast mul- 
titude surrounded by his fellow-disciples, in 
whose name and by whose authority he speaks, 
and after challenging the serious and earnest 
attention of his auditors, he delivers an ad- 
dress which God was pleased to own and hon- 
or in the salvation of many souls. Only a 
brief outline of this sermon has been pre- 
served, but from it we gather that the address 
was arranged under three heads: First, a ref- 
utation of the charge of drunkenness; second, 
an exposition of Joel's prophecy (Joel ii. 28- 
32); and third, the application of that proph- 
ecy in unfolding the Messiahship of Jesus. 
To the first division he devotes but a single 
sentence, as the charge of drunkenness was 
self -evidently absurd, since only habitual rev- 
elers would be intoxicated at so early an hour 
as nine o'clock, whereas those against whom 
the charge was brought were devout Jews, and 
as such observed the custom of abstaining not 
only from drink but even from food until after 
the hour for morning prayer, which was the 
"third hour," or nine a.m. From what Peter 



The First Gospel Sermon, 39 

here says we gather that the promise of the 
Master was fulfilled almost immediately upon 
the assembling of the Church for public wor- 
ship, as though God were anxious to put honor 
upon the observance of the first day of the 
week as the Christian Sabbath. The change 
of the Sabbath from the last to the first day of 
the week, in commemoration of his resurrec- 
tion, was not only sanctioned but authorized 
and confirmed by Christ by twice appearing 
in person to his worshiping disciples upon that 
day, and here again by the manifest presence 
and power of the Holy Ghost in the Church, in 
fulfillment of his promise to his people. 

Peter having disposed of the false accusa- 
tion, and shown his audience what the wonder- 
ful manifestation before them was not, he 
passes naturally and logically to the second 
division of his subject, and proceeds to show 
what it was — viz., not intoxication, but inspira- 
tion — the fulfillment of a prophecy uttered by 
Joel fully eight hundred years before this 
time. The third division of his sermon is 
taken up in interpreting this and other proph- 



40 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ecies, and applying them to prove the Messiah- 
ship of the crucified Nazarene. From the 
fragmentary sketch of this sermon preserved 
by Luke, it seems to have been quite an ordi- 
nary discourse, with nothing at all remarkable 
about it, except that it was attended by extraor- 
dinary results. The preacher's evident de- 
sign was to prove the Messiahship of Christ, 
and so convict his hearers of the sin of reject- 
ing their promised Deliverer; and, accompa- 
nied by the power of the Holy Ghost, his 
words had the desired effect, for when his au- 
ditors heard his burning utterances they were 
conscience-smitten and overwhelmed with a 
sense of personal guilt. Seeing the effect of 
the sermon, when it was ended the disciples 
held an informal service, or "inquiry meet- 
ing," for the purpose of instructing those con- 
victed of sin who, recognizing the apostles as 
divinely appointed teachers, and realizing that 
the dreadful deed of murdering their Messiah 
could not be undone, cry out in agony of soul, 
" Men and brethren, what shall we do? " Their 
manifest desire was to escape from the terri- 



The First Gospel Sermon, 41 

ble load of conscious guilt, and so "Peter," 
acting again as spokesman for the others, said 
unto them: "Repent, and be baptized every 
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for 
the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the 
gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is to 
you, and to your children, and to all that are afar 
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall 
call." Their first duty was to repent of sin, 
and this was to be attested by a public ac- 
knowledgment of it, as well as of a personal 
faith in the mercy and merit of the crucified 
Christ, in token of which they were to receive 
the ordinance of baptism, as a sign and sym- 
bol of their spiritual cleansing. " Baptism " 
is thus made to take the place of " circumcis- 
ion," as the rite of initiation into the visible 
Church, and as Peter here declares is to be ap- 
plied to the children of believing parents as 
well as to the parents themselves. This every 
Jew would naturally expect, since the children 
had from time immemorial been entitled to 
the privileges of membership in the Jewish 
Church. But Peter here goes a step farther, 



42 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

and declares that henceforth these privileges 
shall be also extended to the children of be- 
lieving Gentiles to the remotest bounds of the 
world and the latest limits of time. Luke's 
condensed record gives us only a specimen of 
what was said and done. The plan of salva- 
tion was doubtless fully explained, and the au- 
dience urged to embrace it as the only way to 
escape the dark and dreadful destiny that 
awaits the finally impenitent. These welcome 
words fell upon many glad hearts and eager 
ears, for " the same day there were added unto 
them about three thousand souls." Upon the 
simple confession of their acceptance of Christ 
as a substitute and Saviour, they were at once 
received into the fellowship of the Church and 
"baptized;" but the ordinance could hardly 
have been administered by immersion, because 
of the scarcity of water, the want of time, and 
the insufficiency of apostles to administer the 
rite to so many. There were no public streams 
of water in the city to which they could have 
access, and their Jewish adversaries would 
hardly have allowed them access to their pri- 



The First Gospel Sermon. 43 

vate cisterns for such a purpose. Then, too, 
it was nine o'clock before the Holy Spirit de- 
scended upon the Church, perhaps eleven be- 
fore Peter could begin his sermon, and some 
time in the afternoon before the "inquiry 
meeting" held in the interest of the impeni- 
tent could be closed; so that there was self- 
evidently not time to immerse so many, and 
certainly not apostles enough to perform so 
laborious a work, to say nothing at all of the 
inconvenience of obtaining a change of cloth- 
ing for such a multitude, or the gross impro- 
priety of exposing themselves to the public 
gaze in garments saturated with water. The 
three thousand additions to the Church doubt- 
less embraced some infants, since Peter's ex- 
position of the plan of salvation revealed their 
right to membership in the Christian Church, 
and Jewish parents, accustomed all their lives 
to have their children included with them in 
the privileges of the Old Testament Church, 
would not be slow to secure for them all the 
rights accorded to them under this new dispen- 
sation; but it is hardly probable that these 



44 Day-dawn of Christianiti 

babes were immersed. These new converts 
were at once received into the Church and in- 
doctrinated afterward, in accordance with the 
Master's injunction to first " disciple " men by 
enrolling them as members of his kingdom, 
and afterward "teach them to observe" his 
revealed will (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20); and so un- 
der this commission children can be " disci- 
pled " as well as adults. 

That this great revival was a genuine work 
of grace we have abundant evidence in the 
after lives of the converts. Luke assures us 
that "they continued steadfastly in the apos- 
tle's doctrine and fellowship and in breaking 
of bread and in prayers." They proved their 
faith by their works. Their lives were fash- 
ioned in accordance with the apostle's teach- 
ings. They formed a Christian brotherhood, 
frequently celebrated the Lord's Supper, and 
met often in the prayer-meeting and other or- 
dinances of public worship. They volunta- 
rily sold their possessions for the purpose of 
ministering to the wants of their needy breth- 
ren. As Jews, they still observed the temple 



The First Gosiwl Sermon. 45 

service with which they had been familiar 
from their childhood, and in addition ob- 
served frequent meetings of their own: not 
only in the public sanctuary, but also in their 
homes they held something like our "cottage 
prayer - meetings." Their whole lives were 
characterized by simplicity and sincerity. 
Their hearts were full of song and their 
homes of sunshine, and in consequence they 
"had favor with all the people," while the 
beauty of their example attracted others to 
the cross, and thus the Lord through their in- 
strumentality " added his saved ones daily to 
the Church." 

One cause of this signax success was the 
deep impression made upon the public mind 
by the wonders of Pentecost and the fact that 
the apostles were indued with miraculous 
power; but perhaps the silent influence of 
consistent Christian example was, after all, 
the most effective agency in winning others 
to Christ. 

We have here the plan of salvation strik- 
ingly illustrated. We find: 1. The prayer- 



46 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

meeting, in which the whole Church is engaged 
in asking for the presence and power of 
God's Spirit. % The preaching of the gospel 
made effective through God's answer to the 
prayers of his people. 3. Conviction of sin 
produced by plain, pointed preaching. 4. 
Earnest inquiry for the way of life in conse- 
quence of a sense of sin. 5. Repentance and 
faith awakened by the answer to the inquiry. 
6. Public confession of Christ as the result and 
proof of faith. 7. The gift of the Holy Ghost 
as the seal of salvation. 8. The assurance of 
hope as the result of the indwelling of the 
Spirit. 9. A spirit of generosity attesting the 
truth of the profession. 10. A holy and happy 
life as the infallible proof of true disciple- 
ship. 11. The constant upbuilding of the Church 
as the natural and necessary consequence of 
such influences. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

The chief of sinners may be saved, since the 
murderers of the Messiah have been saved. 

Repentance toward, faith in, and confession 
of Christ secure the "remission of-sins." 



The First Gospel Sermon. 4tl 

The promise of mercy, like the wave upon 
the water, ever widens "until it embraces all. 

True faith leads to public confession of 
Christ. 

Young converts need instruction, and the 
more Bible knowledge they have the better 
Christians they become. 

Christian unity and Christian sympathy are 
essential factors in the success of the Church. 

Attendance upon the prayer - meeting and 
the observance of the Lord's Supper are im- 
portant duties as well as precious privileges. 

Christianity is unselfish, and prompts to 
generosity. 

Godliness and selfishness are direct opposites. 

Frequent observance of God's ordinances 
is a duty that cannot be neglected without 
injury to the Christian. 

Christ's service promotes joy, and God's 
word enjoins it, so that it is a sin to be sad. 
By this it is not meant that the strings of the 
heart, when swept by the hand of pain or sor- 
row, will not quiver with a momentary moan, 
or that there is any thing wrong in such an 



48 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

instinctive response; but it is meant to say that 
that settled sadness and gloomy, melancholy 
look in which the soul of man so often shrouds 
itself is in direct violation of God's clear com- 
mand, and in conspicuous conflict with the 
highest interests of human nature. 

The Lord alone can add genuine converts 
to the Church. 



CHAPTER V. 

petfr's first miracle. 

ALTHOUGH Christians, the apostles were 
also Jews, and still observed the Jewish 
forms of worship in addition to their own re- 
ligious services. As yet, the history of the 
Church was confined to the Jewish metropo- 
lis, and the apostles were " beginning " their 
labors "at Jerusalem," as their Master had 
directed them. Naturally, they spent much 
of their time together, and often repaired to 
the temple for worship. One day, as two of 
them were going up to observe the "hour of 
prayer," there occurred an incident the influ- 
ence of which was felt throughout the entire 
city. These two disciples were Peter and 
John, who, although so unlike in disposition, 
had long been familiar friends. Even before 
they were called to follow the Master, they 
had been partners in business (Luke v. 1-11); 

and subsequent to this call they were fre- 
4 (49) 



50 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

quently together (Lukexxii, 8; John xiii. 23, 
24; xviii. 15, 16; xx. 2; xxi. 7). They seem 
to have retained this old preference for each 
other; and as they now wend their way to- 
gether toward the temple, to observe the hour 
of evening prayer, about three o'clock in the 
afternoon, they come suddenly upon one of 
those numerous objects of charity which in 
olden times were so familiar to those who at- 
tended upon the temple services, and which 
their law made it a duty to aid. (Deut. xiv. 
28, 29; xv. 7-11; xxvi. 12, 13.) This case was 
peculiarly distressing, for the poor man, who 
was now more than forty years of age (Acts 
iv. 22), had been a life-long cripple, and so 
was doubtless considered both by himself and 
friends as absolutely incurable. Seeing the 
apostles approaching, he stops them with his 
piteous plea for help. Something in the poor 
cripple's manner perhaps suggested to Peter 
the thought of a miraculous cure; and so, en- 
listing the man's attention, he commands him 
in the name and by the authority of "Jesus 
Christ of Nazareth to rise up and walk;" 



Peter's First Miracle. 51 

adopting, as Abbott suggests, " the appellation 
given in derision, that he may share the oblo- 
quy of his Master and honor even his dishon- 
ored title." The thoughtful reader cannot 
well fail to be struck with the marked differ- 
ence between this miracle and those of Christ, 
who alw r ays speaks in his own name, and ac- 
complishes the cure by his own divine power. 
Having by his command awakened in the poor 
cripple a vague hope and a dawning faith, Pe- 
ter, in order to strengthen and develop them, 
takes the man by the hand and lifts him up, 
when lo! an instantaneous cure is effected. 
Luke, as a physician, gives a diagnosis of 
the disease and the details of the cure, from 
which it appears that the difficulty was a con- 
stitutional weakness of the fi feet and an- 
kles." This being removed, the man not only 
"walked," but "leaped" about in the wild 
ecstasy of delight, which was not only an ev- 
idence of his great joy, but positive proof of 
the completeness of his cure. Having never 
learned to walk, his being able to do so at 
once was itself almost a miracle. But the 



52 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

cure reached his soul as well as his body, as 
the Greek indicates, and so as an expression 
of his gratitude to God, whom he no doubt 
realizes as the real author of his great bless- 
ing, he accompanies his new-found friends 
into the temple, and with a heart overflowing 
with thankfulness and joy engages in divine 
worship. While he thus gives expression to 
his feelings he also attracts the attention of 
the multitude to the reality of the miracle, 
and so not only gives glory to God himself, 
but gains honor and glory for him from others. 
The people instantly recognized the familiar 
form and features of the cripple whom they 
had been so long accustomed to see at the 
" Beautiful Gate of the temple,'' so that they 
could not deny the miracle even if they had 
wished to do so; and hence they "were filled 
with amazement at that which had happened." 
They knew that Christ, during his life upon 
earth, had performed such miracles; but they 
were amazed to find miraculous power cling- 
ing to his very name. After suitably express- 
ing his gratitude to God for the great mercy 



Peter's First Miracle. 53 

shown him, the cured and converted cripple 
continues to cling to Peter and John in a 
transport of joy, and by words and gestures 
indicating his uncontrollable delight he soon 
attracts around him a great crowd eager to 
learn the facts, and if possible to solve the 
mystery, thus furnishing Peter with another 
vast audience of interested hearers to whom 
he can preach the gospel. Gladly he avails 
himself of this opportunity to explain to his 
deluded countrymen God's wonderful scheme 
of redemption. Expressly disclaiming any 
peculiar gift or superior piety, such as was 
supposed to confer extraordinary power, like a 
true disciple he seeks to turn the attention of 
the people away from himself to his Master. 
He introduces his remarks by a formula long 
familiar to his Jewish auditors, and so identi- 
fies the new religion with the old, while he ac- 
counts for the miracle by ascribing it to the 
power of their covenant-keeping God whom 
their nation had worshiped from the days of 
Abraham. The miracle was simply another 
of the many credentials which their Jehovah 



54 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

had furnished to the rejected Christ. In strik- 
ing contrast with this consideration on the 
part of God for his Son, Peter places the guilty 
conduct of the Jews in murdering their Mes- 
siah. He charges them with deliberately re- 
jecting his claims, repudiating his Messiahship, 
and renouncing his salvation; and that too in 
the presence of a heathen ruler, an enemy of 
their religion and their God, who, satisfied of 
his prisoner's innocence, made repeated efforts 
to secure his release, and only consented to his 
condemnation in order to satisfy and silence 
the clamors of the cruel crowd: so that the 
efforts of this heathen judge to secure the ac- 
quittal of his innocent prisoner puts to shame 
the persistent and determined demands of 
these his own chosen people to secure his 
death. But their guilt was still further ag- 
gravated by desiring the release of the mur- 
derous Barabbas, while they insisted upon the 
death of the " Prince of Life." They not only 
thus sought the release of the destroyer of 
life, but the destruction of the Giver of all life, 
physical as well as spiritual. 



Peter's First Miracle. 55 

The preacher, with great skill and crushing 
power, again brings the guilty conduct of his 
hearers into sharp and striking contrast with 
the honorable consideration which God shows 
their Messiah. They reject and murder him, 
but God "raises him from the dead;" and of 
this stupendous fact the apostles stand ready 
to testify. It was the power of this crucified 
and risen Christ which had wrought the nota- 
ble miracle in the cure of the cripple; and that 
power was obtained through faith, which was 
itself the gift of God. 

How striking the contrast between Peter's 
former cowardice in denying his Master and 
his present courageous conduct in directly 
charging his audience with the murder of their 
Lord, and that too under the most aggravated 
circumstances ! But imbibing the spirit of his 
Master, he hastens to alleviate the suffering he 
is compelled to inflict; and as a means to this 
he identifies himself with his countrymen, and 
so indicates his desire for their welfare. He 
suggests a palliation, but by no means an ex- 
cuse, for their crime. They had acted " igno- 



56 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

rantly," but still it was " with wicked hands " 
that they had murdered their Messiah. They 
had strangely overlooked the true meaning of 
the prophecies (Ps. xxii. 16; Isa.^liii,; Dan. 
ix. 26; Zech. xi. 13), and so unwittingly helped 
to fulfill them in the awful events connected 
with the crucifixion. Having thus charged 
them with their terrible crime, and intimated 
a hope of escape through the mercy of God, 
Peter earnestly exhorts them to "repent and 
be converted, that their sins may be blotted 
out." 

The plan of salvation is strikingly illus- 
trated in the miraculous cure of the cripple. 
First, the sinner, like the cripple, is helpless 
and dependent — " lame from the womb." Sec- 
ond, guided by friends — the Holy Ghost and 
pious men — he seeks help; "is carried to the 
temple, and asks alms." Third, his prayer is 
heard. " Peter [as Christ's representative] 
fastens his eyes upon him " and speaks to him. 
Fourth, faith is thereby awakened; "he ex- 
pects to receive something." Fifth, faith 
prompts to obedience and effects a cure; "his 



Peter's First Miracle. 57 

feet and ankle-bones receive strength." Sixth, 
the cure manifests itself in acts of worship in 
God's house and with God's people; "he en- 
ters with Peter and John into the temple, prais- 
ing God." Seventh, the change in his charac- 
ter and conduct attracts others to the gospel; 
" all the people run unto Peter and John," and 
hear the plan of salvation. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

God's house is a means of blessing to the 
poor and needy. 

To relieve the suffering and afflicted is an 
important duty. 

Many ask for trifles when God is willing to 
give them better blessings. 

Kind words find ready access to the troubled 
heart. 

Those who have no money can still givG 
much that will brighten and bless the lives of 
others. 

There is immeasurable power in "the name 
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth." 

God gives the power to obey along with the 
command. 



58 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

The helping hand may often bring salvation 
to the hopeless heart. 

The effort to obey secures the strength nec- 
essary to obedience. 

The joy that Christ's name inspires cannot 
be hid. 

Men wonder at the change produced in the 
individual and the world by the magic name 
of Jesus. 

Those who praise God for his goodness oft- 
en attract others to hear the gospel. 

Miracles are marvels only as viewed from a 
human stand-point. 

The true preacher seeks to turn the atten- 
tion of his audience away from himself to his 
Master. 

God furnished his Son with indisputable 
credentials of his Messiahship. 

The true preacher declares the " whole coun- 
sel of God," without fear or favor. 

Plain personal preaching is the most pun- 
gent and profitable, though not always the most 
popular. 

Our Lord was pronounced innocent repeat- 



Peter's First Miracle. 59 

eclly by the very judge who condemned him to 
death. 

"Vox popidi" is not always "vox Dei." 

Faith, as well as the salvation it secures, is 
the gift of God. 

Ignorance may palliate the offense, but can- 
not excuse the offender. 

The true preacher, while he reproves the sin, 
at the same time charitably regards the sinner. 

All that God hath " shewed by the mouth of 
his prophets he has fulfilled," or will do so at 
the proper time. 

Remission of sins and "times of refresh- 
ing" follow "repentance" and "conversion," 
both in the individual and the Church. 

Christ, though unseen, is still at work for his 
people. 



CHAPTER VI. 

PERSECUTION COMMENCED. 

PETER'S sermon in the temple awakened 
the first mutterings of the coming storms 
of persecution, for as he and John u spake 
unto the people" in "Solomon's Porch," they 
met with opposition from three different sourc- 
es: First, from the "priests" who had charge 
of the temple service, and who objected to the 
apostles preaching because they had no offi- 
cial authority to teach, and therefore infringed 
upon their privileges and prerogatives; but 
their chief objection was perhaps because 
Peter and John ascribed honor and power to 
the name of the despised Nazarene. A sec- 
ond class of opponents was found in the tem- 
ple police, a company of Levites whose duty 
it was to preserve order in the temple, and 
who therefore objected to the running togeth- 
er of the people as disorderly and indecorous; 

and a third class were the "Sadducees," a re- 
(00) 



Persecution Commenced, 61 

ligious sect, and at the same time political 
party of the Jews, who derived their name 
from their founder, Zadok, or from a Hebrew 
word denoting "righteous." They were the 
Materialists of that day, who sought to amalga- 
mate the religion of the Jews with the philos- 
ophy of the Greeks. They especially disliked 
the doctrine of the resurrection, and therefore 
readily joined the others against the apostles; 
and as Abbott suggests, "this first persecu- 
tion of the Church is a type of all that fol- 
low, A corrupt priesthood lead the way, the 
civil power is its instrument, while the infidel 
world combines with and sustains the other 
two," The fact of Christ's resurrection was 
clearly attested by the miracle, and so, by in- 
ference, the doctrine of a general resurrection 
was set forth. The Sadducees, therefore, ob- 
jected to the doctrine taught by the apostles, 
while the priests objected to the fact of their 
teaching at all; and combining their forces, 
they come upon the preachers with some de- 
gree of violence, as indicated by the Greek, 
and effecting their arrest thrust them into 



62 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

prison until the next day, when they intend to 
arraign them before the Jewish court. The 
miracle was performed about three o'clock. 
Some time doubtless elapsed before the crowd 
assembled, and Peter's sermon, of which most 
probably only a small portion is recorded, took 
up a considerable time longer, so that it must 
have been near twilight when the arrest was 
made. 

But notwithstanding the rude arrest of the 
preachers, the preaching was abundantly suc- 
cessful; for in spite of the malice of the priests, 
" many of them that heard the word believed, 
and the number of the men was about five 
thousand," This may mean that there were 
five thousand converts added to the Church at 
this time, but it more probably means that the 
whole membership, including the three thou- 
sand received at Pentecost, was now five thou- 
sand. And that the converts were all men is 
also improbable, although some have so argued 
from the alleged fact that women were re- 
stricted to the "court of the women," and 
were excluded from " Solomon's Porch," The 



Persecution Commenced. 63 

truth intended to be conveyed most probably 
is that the Church continued to grow by daily 
additions until its entire membership, includ- 
ing men, women, and children, now numbered 
five thousand. 

At an early hour the next day the Sanhe- 
drim, or supreme court of the Jewish nation, 
was convened for the purpose of trying the 
prisoners. In addition to the priests, it was 
composed of "elders and scribes." The for- 
mer were a class of Jewish officials of great 
authority and influence, so-called because for- 
merly chosen from the " old men,' 5 or heads o| 
families; while the latter were the interpreters 
and conservators of the law, whose duty it was 
to explain as well as to copy and preserve it 
This court was composed of seventy-two menu 
bers — twenty-four elders, twenty-four priests, 
and twenty-four scribes — in imitation, or con- 
tinuation probably, of the " seventy elders " 
who assisted Moses (Num. xi. 16-25), and wag 
presided over by the high-priest. At this 
time the Jews were in the anomalous position 
of having tivo high-priests — "Annas," who 



64 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

occupied the position by hereditary right, and 
his son-in-law, " Caiaphas," who occupied it by 
Boinan appointment. They were both present 
upon this occasion, as were also many of their 
kinsmen, so that the council to try Peter and 
John was packed with relatives and personal 
friends of the judges. The Sanhedrim is said 
to have sat in a semicircle; and when all the 
necessary ritualistic forms and ceremonies had 
been duly complied with, the officers brought 
the prisoners before the court, and at once they 
were questioned in regard to the miracle per- 
formed the preceding day. The fact of the 
miracle could not be denied; and that it had 
been performed in the name and by the au- 
thority of Jesus of Nazareth was equally well 
known, for it was the proclamation of that name 
that had caused the apostles' arrest. But the 
law (Deut. xiii. 1-5) required the death of 
any one who sought to turn away the people 
from their allegiance to Jehovah, and under 
that law Christ himself had been condemned; 
so the question as to their authority for speak- 
ing in the name of the condemned and cruci- 



Persecution Commenced. 65 

fied malefactor is here formally asked in order 
to secure against the prisoners the charge of 
blasphemy, or else to frighten them into a 
modification or retraction of what they claimed 
for the still hated Jesus. This gives the apos- 
tles an opportunity to speak in their own 
def enso, and Peter makes his fourth recorded 
speech. The first was addressed to his fel- 
low-Christians (Acts i. 15); the second to the 
Pentecostal assembly (Acts ii. 14); the third 
to the multitude in the temple (Acts iii. 12); 
and the fourth now in the presence of the 
supreme court of his nation. His increasing 
boldness is remarkable when contrasted with 
his former cowardice (Matt. xxvi. 69-75). He 
here, under these trying circumstances, re- 
ceives the fulfillment of his Master's promise 
(Luke xii. 11, 12), and is " filled with the Holy 
Ghost." He addresses the court with respect, 
but at the same time fearlessly, accusing its 
members of murdering the Messiah; and so 
the prisoner arraigns the court; and more than 
that — he sustains the charge! The speaker's 
language is that of bitter, biting sarcasm. He 



66 Day-dawn of Christianity. 



had been arraigned by the august court of the 
Jewish nation for the performance of what 
was self -evidently a " good deed! " But he now 
charges the court with the commission of a 
foul murder, for he boldly declares that the 
miracle was performed in the name and by the 
power of the despised Nazarene whom their 
jealous hatred had put to death in the hope of 
getting rid of his dreaded influence, while in 
striking contrast with their bloody deed stands 
the act of God in raising him from the dead, 
in attestation of which he has but to point 
to the cured and converted cripple who now 
stands in their presence, either as a voluntary 
witness in favor of the prisoners, or else ar- 
rested as a party to the alleged disturbance 
in the temple. The Greek verb in reference 
to the cure of the cripple indicates that he 
was saved in soul as well as body; and Peter 
makes this specific case of salvation the basis 
for unfolding a general salvation through this 
crucified and rejected Christ, and boldly af- 
firms in the presence of these official teachers 
of religion that all their ritualistic forms and 



Persecution Commenced. 67 

ceremonies are vain and worthless unless they 
are thus led to a living, personal faith in the 
merit and mercy of that Messiah whom they 
deliberately murdered. Their rejection of 
Christ was but the fulfillment of prophecy, as 
Peter shows by an apt quotation (Ps. cxviii. 
22), which is the sixth, if not the seventh, 
prophecy expounded and applied by him since 
he began his mission as a preacher of the gos- 
pel. But he gives them clearly to understand 
that their blunder was not one of theory; on 
the other hand, it was intensely practical, in- 
volving their souls' salvation, since God had 
but one plan of redemption, and that was 
through faith in his Son. 

Peter was a practical preacher, and here 
presents the very essence of true religion— the 
one grand, emphatic truth of the Bible, around 
which all others crystallize and revolve. That 
salvation is impossible aside from Christ is 
the great fundamental doctrine of revelation 
that gleams upon every page and is reflected 
from every verse of God's word, from the first 
of Genesis to the very last of Revelation ; and 



68 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

when these Jewish officials heard this truth, 
so repugnant to their preconceived opinions, 
thus boldly proclaimed by their prisoners, they 
were overwhelmed with astonishment and an- 
ger. They were amazed that these unlettered 
fishermen, whom they readily recognized as 
the two disciples who were present at the 
trial of Jesus of Nazareth, only a few short 
weeks before, should possess such fluency of 
speech and courage of soul when brought into 
the presence of the most cultured doctors and 
highest officials of the Jewish nation. Gladly 
would they have denied the miracle, but there 
in their very presence stood the well-known 
cripple, erect and strong, and they " could say 
nothing against it; "and to punish men for 
performing a deed so noble and good they 
well knew the people would not allow. (Acts 
iv. 21.) So, finding themselves in an awk- 
ward dilemma, they send their prisoners out 
of the council chamber, in order that they may 
discuss among themselves the best course to 
pursue. They are compelled to acknowledge 
the miracle (Acts iv. 16), yet are afraid to 



Persecution ommeneecL 69 

attempt to punish those who performed it; and 
by way of compromise, and in the hope of de- 
terring them in the future, they recall the 
prisoners and threaten them with severe pun- 
ishment if they ever attempt to teach the peo- 
ple about Jesus of Nazareth. But what must 
have been their surprise and disappointment 
when Peter and John answered: "Whether it 
be right in the sight of God to hearken unto 
you more than unto God, judge ye. For we 
cannot but speak the things which we have 
seen and heard." As true disciples they 
were actuated by no motives of mere expedi- 
ency, and would not even listen to, much less 
obey, any suggestion contrary to the divine 
will. They had been commissioned to preach 
the gospel, and they were fully determined 
to do so, and leave the results with God; for 
there was a sublime necessity both impell- 
ing and compelling them to testify for Christ. 
Alarmed, no doubt, by this increasing bold- 
ness, but having nothing else that they can do, 
the Sanhedrim attempt again to deter them 
by threats of punishment, and then by judi- 



70 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

cial act release them from custody. But in 
so doing they were not actuated by any re- 
gard to equity or justice, for they would 
gladly have put the prisoners to death, and 
were only deterred from doing so because of 
the joyous and daily repeated demonstration 
on the part of the people over the miraculous 
cure of their crippled friend. According to 
Abbott: "By one of those dramatic changes 
common in life, we are suddenly transported 
from the council chamber of the Sanhedrim 
into the midst of the Christian brotherhood. 
The malice and perturbation of the one, the 
purity and peace of the other, stand out the 
more clearly from the contrast," for no sooner 
did Peter and John regain their liberty than 
they "went to their own company/' who were 
probably at that very moment engaged in 
prayer for their deliverance. They return to 
the church to seek sympathy and counsel, 
and "so report all that the chief priests and 
elders said unto them," in order that their 
brethren, being acquainted with the facts, may 
direct them how to act, and at the same time 



Persecution Commenced. 71 

determine how to conduct the affairs of the 
Church. The Church at once recognizes the 
conduct of the Sanhedrim as a declaration 
of war, and betake themselves in earnest, 
united prayer to God for counsel. They refer 
to various prophecies, which they see signally 
fulfilled in the history of their cause, and 
plead them before the throne of grace as ar- 
guments in their favor. Rising above all 
selfish considerations, they do not ask deliv- 
erance from danger, but from cowardice. Self 
is lost sight of in the absorbing interest they 
feel in their imperiled cause; so that all they 
ask is courage to do their duty and creden- 
tials to support their claims, in order that 
their adversaries may be confounded and the 
name of their blessed Master receive honor 
and glory. And before the echo of this un- 
selfish prayer had died away, " the place where 
they were assembled was shaken by divine 
power, and they were all filled with the Holy 
Ghost," in attestation of the fact that their 
prayers were heard and answered, and as a 
prophecy that the power of the gospel would 



72 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

yet shake the whole world from center to cir- 
cumference. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

" The carnal mind has ever been enmity 
against God " and his cause. Bigots and in- 
fidels have conspired against the Church in all 
ages of the world. 

" The resurrection from the dead" has ever 
been a stumbling-block in the way of infi- 
delity. 

Preachers, prisons, and persecutions have 
long been familiarly acquainted. 

Disciples arraigned before bigots form 
many of the pictures with which Church his- 
tory is illustrated. 

Christ fulfills all his promises. 

" Good deeds " are often misunderstood and 
misrepresented. 

True disciples are neither ashamed nor 
afraid to acknowledge the " name of Jesus of 
Nazareth." 

" Chief corner - stones " in the temple of 
truth have oftentimes long been " set at naught 
of the builders." 



Persecution Commenced. 73 

Salvation in Christ alone is the one em- 
phatic, central truth of the Bible, around 
which all others cluster and revolve. 

Christianity gives power and influence even 
to " unlearned and ignorant men." 

If we have really "been with Jesus/' men 
will " take knowledge " of the fact. 

The good effects of Christianity are unan- 
swerable arguments in its favor. 

The true disciple obeys God at any cost. 

" Whether it be right in the sight of God," 
should ever be the criterion of duty. 

The true Christian "cannot bat speak the 
things he has seen and heard " in his religious 
experience. 

The good and the bad alike, when unre- 
strained, seek congenial companionship. 

The best place for the tried Christian to go 
for sympathy and assistance is to the Church; 
and, conversely, the Church should ever be 
ready to extend aid and sympathy to those in 
trouble. 

The enmity of the world only drives the 
true Christian nearer to God. 



74 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

It is the Christian's privilege to tell all of 
his trials to God. 

The God of creation is likewise the God of 
providence. He who made his people can 
take care of them. 

By studying God's providences we will often 
find in them the fulfillment of his prophecies. 

God's purposes cannot be frustrated, for he 
controls the results of even the bad deeds of 
wicked men. 

God makes the very wrath of his enemies 
redound to his glory, and overules their 
wicked deeds for the accomplishment of his 
purposes. 

True prayer is prompted by a desire to glo- 
rify God rather than to benefit self. 

" God is a present help in every time of 
need." 



CHAPTER VII. 

HYPOCRITES PUNISHED. 

IN consequence of the revival and persecu- 
tion brought about by the healing of the 
cripple, the disciples were still more closely 
united in bonds of sympathy and affection, and, 
like Barnabas (Acts iv. 36, 37), many others 
doubtless sold their possessions and gave the 
price to the apostles for the benefit of their 
needy brethren; and thus, as Olshausen sug- 
gests, "probably among the new Christians a 
kind of holy rivalry sprung up, every one 
eager to place his means at the disposal of the 
apostles." But while such conduct was com- 
mendable, it was liable to abuse, for the zeal of 
some might outrun their principle, and they 
might be tempted to seek credit for a liberali- 
ty which they really did not possess; and as a 
matter of fact we find that some did act thus, 
and so brought the "first trace of a shadow 

upon the bright form of the young Church." 

(75) 



76 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

The mournful contrast between the generosity 
of the true disciple and the hypocrisy of the 
false is introduced by what Matthew Henry 
terms a "melancholy but." Two disciples, 
"Ananias" and his wife, "Sapphira," whose 
names mean respectively "the Lord is gra- 
cious " and " a beauty," and which stand there- 
fore in striking contrast with the baseness of 
their conduct, act the hypocrite, and thus bring 
the first odium upon the Church. Like others, 
they desired to gain a reputation for liber- 
ality, and they sold their property ostensibly 
for the purpose of donating the proceeds to 
the Church ; but their covetousness getting the 
better of their Christianity, they "kept back 
part of the price," the idea in the Greek being 
that of "embezzlement." Taking a part of 
the money, they come to the church at a time 
perhaps of religious worship, and offer it to 
the apostles for God's cause as an act of re- 
ligious worship, their object being doubtless to 
make the matter as public as possible. But 
their motive being revealed to Peter by the 
Holy Ghost, he meets the pretended worship- 



Hypocrites Punished. 77 

ers and sternly rebukes them for their attempt 
at deception. He declares that their object is 
already manifest to the Church, and that their 
hypocrisy was an insult not only to their 
brethren, but especially to the Holy Ghost, 
who not only dwelt in the Church, but who 
constantly presided over its destiny. He in- 
dicates most clearly that the hypocrite, like all 
the others, had acted voluntarily in selling his 
land. There was no compulsory law requiring 
any of the Church to give all or even a part of 
their lands to support their needy brethren; 
and while the voluntary nature of such offer- 
ings — when made by true Christians from 
proper motives — only rendered their conduct 
the more commendable, it at the same time 
greatly aggravated the guilt of these hypo- 
crites. The influence of the tempter is never 
represented as coercive, but always as persua- 
sive and resistible (James iv. 7); and so "AnaT 
nias and Sapphira" were inexcusable, for in- 
stead of repelling the evil suggestion they 
cherished it until the thought ripened into a 
guilty deed. No sooner do these words of re- 



78 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

buke fall upon the ears of the conscious hyp- 
ocrite than he falls dead at the feet of the 
apostle, struck down by the direct visitation of 
a justly offended God. His death, instead of 
being occasioned by Peter, was perhaps as 
great a surprise to hirn as to his companions. 
It was customary among the Jews to bury soon 
after death, partly because decomposition takes 
place rapidly in the warm climate of Palestine, 
and partly because of their peculiar notions 
about defilement from the dead; so the young- 
er men of the congregation carried the corpse 
away at once, and placed it in one of the vaults 
customarily used by the Jews for burial. This 
was probably done during the intermission 
between the morning and afternoon service; 
and when the congregation came together 
again for the second service, about "three 
hours after," the wife of the dead man — igno- 
rant of his fearful fate, but fully acquainted 
with his guilty conduct — comes in, doubtless 
expecting to meet her husband and share with 
him the gratitude of the Church. As she en- 
ters Peter addresses her and asks if the money 



Hypocrites Punished. 79 

her husband had brought the Church was the 
entire price of the land, thus giving her an 
opportunity to repent and confess her sin. 
But instead of doing so she seeks to cover up 
her lie of action by one of utterance. Con- 
vinced that the guilty act was deliberate and 
presumptuous, the result of conspiracy and 
preconcert, the apostle delivers a stern rebuke, 
and assuring her of the death of her husband 
he foretells her own fearful fate. As she re- 
ceives this first intimation of her husband's 
death, and that her guilty conduct is known, 
she also suddenly falls down at Peter's feet and 
dies in ignominy and disgrace upon the very 
spot where she had expected to receive the 
plaudits of a grateful Church! But here again 
Peter did not inflict the death-penalty; he 
merely foretold it, and as the awful prophecy 
is fulfilled the " young men " enter the house, 
and "carrying her forth, buried her by her 
husband." An incident at once so remarkable 
and solemn necessarily produced a deep im- 
pression upon all who knew of it, restraining 
believers from wrong-doing and deterring hyp- 



80 Day-dawn of Christianity, 

ocrites from joining the company of the disci- 
ples. The Church received a wholesome les- 
son, and the outside world, instead of disparag- 
ing the character of Christians, as they might 
otherwise have done on the discovery of such 
hypocrisy, were awed at the manifest presence 
of divinity among them, and the mysterious 
power of throwing off such corrupt matter 
from the Church. 

Truths to be Treasured. 
Barnabas and Ananias — the good and the 
bad, the true and the false, the " wheat " and 
the " tares " — have ever been found together in 
the Church. 

Every life is an example either to win or to 
warn those who come after it. 

Many a modern Ananias has "kept back 
part of the price " of his earthly possessions 
after he has professedly consecrated them all 
to God's service. 

"The love of money is the root of all evil." 
"Beware of covetousness, which is idolatry." 
To be, and not to seem, is the object of every 
true life. 



Hypocrites Punished. 81 

"All liars shall have their part in the lake 
that burnetii with fire and brimstone." 

"Man never deceives himself so much as 
when he attempts to deceive God." 

God's judgments are monumental, and are 
intended not only to vindicate his own honor, 
but to serve as a warning to others. 

"Though hand join in hand, the wicked 
shall not go unpunished." 

"It is easy to tell one lie; hard to tell but 

one." 
6 



CHAPTER VIII. 

TRIALS AND TROUBLES OF THE CHURCH. 

THE signal punishment of Ananias and 
Sapphira exerted a salutary influence up- 
on the Church, not only by deterring hypo- 
crites from joining it, but by restraining its 
members from wrong-doing; and by thus in- 
creasing its purity added greatly to its power, 
insomuch that many miracles were performed 
by the apostles, and " multitudes, both of men 
and women 5> were added to the company of 
believers. But this increasing popularity of 
the Church only intensified the hatred of the 
Jewish rulers, and caused them to renew their 
persecutions. The high-priest, aroused from 
his inactivity by the persistent and rapid 
growth of the Church, gathers around him all 
those who were in sympathetic opposition to 
Christianity; and conspicuous among them 
were the Sadducees, who were among the most 

ardent members of the coalition, if not the 

(82) 



Trials and Troubles of the Church. S3 

leaders of this persecution, because the central 
truth of the apostles' teaching struck at the 
very foundation of their system of belief, or 
rather unbelief, which was the denial of a fut- 
ure life. 

According to their custom the apostles went 
day after day to the temple for worship and 
to instruct the people, and while thus engaged 
the temple police, incited thereto by the 
priests, came upon them, and arresting them 
thrust them into prison until the Sanhedrim 
could be called together to try them. While 
they are thus cut off from their labors, and 
perhaps depressed and disappointed, an an- 
gel suddenly enters the prison, and opening 
the doors commands them to return to the 
temple and preach the gospel. They were 
thus set at liberty, not to flee from persecution, 
but to warn others to " flee from the wrath to 
come," and were commissioned not merely to 
talk in private, but to preach in public, not a 
part of the truth, but "all the words of this 
life." The frequency of angelic interference 
in the early days of the Church is remarkable. 



84 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

In Luke's condensed history of the first labors 
of the apostles the word " angel " occurs twen- 
ty times, and six distinct kinds of work are 
related as performed by them. The appear- 
ance of this heavenly messenger at this time 
was a direct overthrow of the Sadducean doc- 
trine denying the existence of angels and spir- 
its (Acts xxiii. 8)— an encouragement to the 
disciples, and a warning to their persecutors. 
Thus divinely instructed, the apostles leave the 
prison, and "early in the morning" again en- 
ter the temple and begin their work of teach- 
ing the people about Christ and his claims. 
They are thus engaged when the high-priest 
and his abettors assemble to organize the San- 
hedrim. They are impatient to punish their 
prisoners, and so assemble at the earliest prac- 
ticable moment; and as the meeting is regard- 
ed as of unusual interest and importance, so 
the attendance is unusually large, "all the 
senate of the children of Israel," the whole 
"eldership," being present. After due con- 
sultation among themselves as to the best 
course to pursue, the high-priest "sends to 



Trials and Troubles of the Church 85 

the prison " to have the accused brought before 
the court, little aware that their prisoners (?) 
had voluntarily preceded them to the place of 
trial, and were even then engaged in preaching 
the hated gospel not fifty yards perhaps from 
where the Sanhedrim sat. When the messen- 
gers reach the prison they find the doors se- 
curely fastened and the guards faithfully 
watching the empty cells, for when the doors 
are opened they find to their amazement that 
the men whom they held in custody, as they 
supposed, are nowhere to be found. When 
the astonished messengers return to the tem- 
ple and report theso things to the court, these 
high officials are sorely disappointed and 
greatly perplexed, not knowing how to account 
for the escape of the prisoners, and dreading 
its effect upon the people. But while they 
are thus deploring their misfortune and seek- 
ing to devise means to counteract it, one of 
the numerous visitors to the temple, who had 
just been listening to the preaching of the 
apostles, passes by, and learning of the per- 
plexity of the court startles them with the 



86 Dan -dawn °f Christianity. 

declaration, " Behold, the men whom ye put in 
prison are standing in the temple and teach- 
ing the people.'' They had manifestly not at- 
tempted to escape trial, but, as if inviting it, 
were publicly doing the very thing that the 
court had previously commanded them not to 
do. This information astonishes the Sanhe- 
drim perhaps even more than the knowledge 
that their prisoners had escaped from their 
guards; and after holding a hurried con- 
sultation, they send the temple guard to re- 
arrest the apostles and bring them before the 
court. When the officers approach the preach- 
ers they make no resistance, and the arrest is 
quietly made. But this w r as the result not so 
much of the quiet submission of the prisoners 
as because the guard was restrained from vio- 
lence out of regard for their own personal 
safety, for the people evidently sympathized 
with the apostles, and were now even more in- 
terested in them on account of their miracu- 
lous escape from prison, so that they would 
doubtless have resented any violence toward 
the prisoners. Once arraigned before the 



Trials and Troubles of the Church. 87 

court, the high-priest loses no time in remind- 
ing them of their former appearance before 
the Sanhedrim, and demanding why they had 
refused to obey the command to refrain from 
preaching. He purposely suppresses the 
name of Christ, either through contempt or 
superstitious dread lest he might after all 
be the Messiah, or from a guilty reluctance to 
call the name of his murdered victim. Instead 
of obeying the court, the high-priest declares 
that the apostles had boldly taught the new 
religion in all parts of Jerusalem, thus unwit- 
tingly bearing testimony to the diligence and 
fidelity of the preachers, as well as to the re- 
markable success of their preaching. They 
had never at any time made an effort to incite 
the people against their rulers, nor to bring 
upon these officials divine vengeance, but they 
had publicly held them responsible for the 
blood of their Master; hence these conscious 
murderers, fearing the vengeance of the people 
who so evidently sympathized with the apos- 
tles, charge them with attempting to bring 
upon the members of the Sanhedrim the blood 



88 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

of the hated Nazarene. They again suppress 
his name, but unmistakably betray a disagree- 
able recollection of their own recent impreca- 
tion, "His blood be on us." (Matt, xxvii. 25.) 
Peter still acts as spokesman for his breth- 
ren, and boldly speaks in their defense. As 
the high-priest had referred to the former 
trial (Acts iv. 18-20), so he likewise refers to 
it, and reminds the court of the determination 
to obey God then expressed by the prisoners, 
which he now repeats with still greater em- 
phasis. Then, as being himself a Jew, he 
identifies himself with his hearers, whom he 
boldly accuses not only of murdering their 
Messiah, but of heaping upon him the great- 
est possible dishonor by putting him to death 
on the hated and ignominious Gentile cross. 
In striking contrast with this cruel conduct he 
presents again the honor which God put upon 
his Son, not only in raising him from the dead, 
but in giving him a place of power and author- 
ity at his own right-hand in heaven. This 
contrast between the divine and human treat- 
ment received by his Master seems to have 



Trials and Troubles of the Church. 89 

been the key-note of Peter's sermons, and was 
ever sounded with telling effect (Acts ii. 23, 
24, 37; iii. 13-15, with iv. 4, and iv. 10 with 14). 
He here declares that the murdered Jesus 
possessed both that royalty and saving charac- 
ter which Israel expected in their Messiah, but 
the latter feature of which they had so strange- 
ly lost sight of; that he had the right as well 
as the power to pardon and sanctify even his 
murderers, through repentance and faith ; and 
to show that these things were true, he asserts 
that himself and companions had been commis- 
sioned to bear testimony along with the Holy 
Ghost, who, in the wonders of Pentecost and 
subsequent miracles performed by the apostles, 
had furnished them with credentials that could 
not be challenged; so that they and the Holy 
Spirit were thus joint witnesses to the power 
and willingness of their Master to pardon and 
save sinners. This sermon of Peter's is re- 
markable for its brevity, consisting as it does 
of three sentences, and also for its compact- 
ness and completeness; for, as Abbott sug- 
gests, ' ; it declares the crucifixion, resurrec- 



90 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

tion, and ascension of our Lord, his double 
character as King and Saviour, his mission to 
cleanse away sin, the condition of receiving 
the benefits he affords, and the twofold evi- 
dence of these truths, human and divine. It 
may fairly be called the apostolic creed." 
Peter's sermon, as usual, produced a deep im- 
pression upon his audience, but this time, in- 
stead of leading them to repentance, it aroused 
their bitter opposition, so that had it not been 
for the wise counsel of Gamaliel, one of the 
most prominent and influential members of 
the court, they would doubtless have increased 
their guilt by committing additional murder. 
But somewhat appeased by the quiet manner 
and wise words of Gamaliel, they content 
themselves w T ith cruelly beating the prisoners 
and again commanding them to refrain from 
preaching. Once more at liberty, these faith- 
ful servants of God renew their labors in his 
cause without giving a moment's regard to 
the threatenings of the Sanhedrim. A few 
short weeks before this, such a command 
would have filled them with alarm; but now, 



Trials and Troubles of the Church. 91 

strengthened by divine grace, they go forth to 
their daily duty of teaching the people con- 
cerning their glorified Master, " rejoicing that 
they are counted worthy to suffer shame for 
his name." 

But while these first heralds of the gospel 
are thus troubled with trials and persecutions 
from their enemies without the Church, a new 
source of perplexity originates among their 
friends within the Church. So rapidly had 
the membership increased that it now num- 
bered several thousand, and it became impos- 
sible for the twelve apostles to attend to both 
the financial and spiritual interests of the 
people. Accordingly, we find here the intro- 
duction of an important class of officers into 
the Church; for although they are not ex- 
pressly called " deacons," yet the Greek word 
used to set forth the functions of their office 
is sufficient to identify them with that class 
of Church officials which unquestionably ex- 
isted in apostolic times (Phil. i. 1; 1 Tim. 
iiL 8-13), and has ever since been retained by 
the various denominations of Christians, each 



92 Day-daivn of Christianity. 

defining the functions of the office according 
to its interpretation of the apostolic model. 
The benevolence so conspicuous in the very- 
first acts of the infant Church prompted its 
members to provide for their poor, whose 
wants were probably supplied daily from the 
funds of a common treasury, under the per- 
sonal supervision of the apostles. But the 
number of disciples had now grown so large 
that strict impartiality in the distribution was 
well-nigh impossible, and without intending 
any injustice certain poor widows failed to 
receive their appropriate part. This led to 
murmuring and complaint on the part of the 
"Grecians," or foreign-born Jews who spoke 
the Greek language, against their Hebrew 
brethren who were natives of Palestine and 
spoke the Hebrew language; so that after all, 
without any real cause for dissatisfaction, the 
complaint may have originated in race jealousy 
or party spirit, which was carried even into 
the Church. The Greek word indicates that 
the discontent was of a " suppressed and 
whispered" character; and the apostles, like 



Trials and Troubles of the Church, 93 

prudent men, do not wait for a public out- 
break, but having held a consultation, they 
call the entire Church together, and after ex- 
plaining the impossibility of their properly 
performing so much work, and the great im- 
propriety of their neglecting the preaching of 
the gospel in order to attend to the financial 
and temporal affairs of the Church, they sug- 
gest the appointment of seven pious and pru- 
dent men whose duty it shall be to distribute 
the charities of their brethren, and thus leave 
them free to give their whole time and atten- 
tion to th© spiritual interests of their fellow- 
men. These men were to be elected by the 
Church, iand then that election ratified by 
the apostles as spiritual rulers divinely com- 
missioned to perfect the organization of the 
Church, And they were to be men not only of 
good Christian character, but of unblemished 
reputation among their brethren; and not only 
good men, but wise and discreet. This sug- 
gestion made by the twelve apostles meets 
with the hearty approbation of the Church, 
who immediately select by ballot or otherwise 



94 Daij-daicn of Christianity. 

seven of their number whose names are all of 
Greek origin; and it is probable that in a 
spirit of conciliation the new officers were all 
selected from the company of complainants, 
the Grecians, who had manifested the spirit of 
discontent Of five of the men thus chosen 
we know nothing further; but two of them, 
Stephen and Philip, afterward became promi- 
nent preachers of the gospel. After the elec- 
tion, those chosen were brought before the 
apostles in order that those divinely inspired 
officials might ratify the choice of the Church; 
then, after prayer for the divine guidance 
and blessing, they " laid their hands on " the 
newly elected officers, thus formally ordain- 
ing them to their important position. Peace 
and harmony being restored to the Church, it 
entered upon a new career of prosperity, and 
" the number of disciples multiplied in Jeru- 
salem greatly;" and the scene of crucifixion 
and death became also the scene of revival 
and eternal life. Among others thus converted 
to Christianity, a " great company of priests 
were obedient to the faith." The number of 



Trials and Troubles of the Church. 95 

priests at the return from Babylon was " four 
thousand two hundred and eighty-nine" (Ezra 
ii. 36-39), and must have been still larger at 
this time. Bat this is perhaps the last large 
ingathering of the priests, for after Stephen's 
trial made it evident that the gospel was in 
conflict with their worldly interests, few of 
them were added to the Church. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

The gospel proves to some "a savor of life 
unto life," and to others a "savor of death 
unto death." 

Party spirit and denominational sectari- 
anism are very different from true gospel 
piety. 

Angels are " ministering spirits sent forth to 
minister to the heirs of salvation." 

"Duty is ours; results are God's." 

"The wicked flee when no man pursueth" 
but the righteous are bold as a lion," 

The apostles were tireless workers, and con- 
sequently successful preachers of the gospel. 

The blood of Christ will rest upon every 
one either to cleanse or to condemn. 



96 Day-da irn of Christianity. 



To have Christ as our " Saviour," we must 
also have him as our " Prince." 

Repentance secures forgiveness and remis- 
sion of sin. 

To preserve the peace and promote the pros- 
perity of the Church should be the controlling 
motive of every Christian. 

It is neither right nor proper that the min- 
istry should be secularized. 

Church officers should not only be pious 
men, but they should also be prudent and of 
good reputation. 

Harmony in the Church promotes its pros- 
perity. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE FIRST MARTYRDOM. 

THE Church had now reached the acme of 
external prosperity; but at this period, as 
Alford suggests, "another and important ele- 
ment in its testimony is brought out in the 
person of Stephen — viz., its protest against 
Pharisaism. This arrays against it that pow- 
erful and zealous sect, and henceforward it 
finds neither favor nor tolerance with either 
of the Jewish parties, but the increasing and 
bitter enmity of them both." Stephen being 
a Greek, and not trammeled with the preju- 
dices of his Jewish brethren, grasped more 
clearly than they the plan of salvation in its 
universal character, and, as Farrar suggests, 
was the very first of the disciples to get the 
true idea of the spiritual kingdom. He saw 
that Christ had fulfilled the ceremonial law, 
and therefore it must perish; and that his 
death was not for Jews alone, and there- 
fore their customs must be changed to accord 
7 (97) 



98 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

with the enlargement of the Church. So long 
as the Church was looked upon as still form- 
ing a part of Judaism, it was tolerated, and 
even met with favor from the more liberal 
Jews; but when once the declaration was made 
that it was designed to supersede that form of 
worship which had been handed down from 
sire to son from time immemorial, it awakened 
the opposition of all classes against both the 
preaching and the preacher. But Stephen had 
imbibed the true idea of Christianity, and so 
went forth aggressively to attack error and sin 
wherever found. He doubtless soon began the 
more responsible work of preaching the gos- 
pel, for he was a man of extraordinary spirit- 
ual gifts. He was possessed of eminent piety, 
and God honored him by conferring upon him 
miraculous power, so that he stands pre-emi- 
nent as being the first man to perform miracles 
outside of the apostles. God thus accredited 
his ministry by giving him divine credentials. 
As a Grecian, he naturally felt interested in 
his Grecian brethren, and so entered their syn- 
agogues and engaged with them in frequent 



The First Martyrdom. 99 

discussions, hoping thereby to bring some of, 
tliem to a knowledge of the truth. According 
to the rabbinical books, there were upward of 
four hundred and fifty synagogues in Jerusa- 
lem. The Hebrews, or native Jews, worshiped 
together, and the foreign Jews naturally asso- 
ciated themselves in worship according to their 
dialects and other national affinities. Among 
other synagogues visited by Stephen w T as one 
composed of "men of Cilicia; 9 ' and doubtless 
here the earnest preacher first met the after- 
ward famous "Saul of Tarsus" (Acts xxi. 39; 
xxii. 3), and by divine help succeeded in lodg- 
ing in his mind the germ of truth that event- 
uated in his conversion from a bloody perse- 
cutor to the grandest preacher the world has 
ever known. In the synagogue services the 
leaders of any new school were generally per- 
mitted to set forth their opinions; hence, dur- 
ing Stephen's ministrations among his Hellen- 
istic brethren he had frequent opportunities 
of presenting his views upon the design and 
scope of Christianity. In these discussions he 
spoke by divine inspiration (Luke xxi. 15) and 



100 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

overwhelmed his adversaries by the power of 
his resistless eloquence and unanswerable log- 
ic. Smarting under a sense of conscious de- 
feat, they seek to overthrow the arguments of 
their opponent, not by the force of justifiable 
debate, but by silencing the voice of the 
preacher in death. With this object in view, 
they bribe men to bear false witness against 
him, in the hope of establishing the charge of 
blasphemy, which was punishable with death. 
Blasphemy, under the Jewish law, was any 
endeavor to turn away the allegiance of the 
people from the one true God. This was the 
charge brought against Christ, and is now 
brought against the first of his servants who 
is called to seal his testimony with his blood. 
In addition to bribing false witnesses, the ad- 
versaries of Stephen " stirred up the people " 
against him by misrepresentations, thus seek- 
ing to alienate them from the Church toward 
which they were instinctively drawn. Having 
thus prejudged the case and pre-arranged the 
trial, they confidently arrest the preacher and 
hurry him before the same court, accused of 



The First Martyrdom. 101 

the same crime by which and upon which his 
Master was condemned only a few short weeks 
before. It was the duty of the court to pun- 
ish perjury; but we here find it both inviting 
and encouraging it, for when the Sanhedrim 
had assembled, and all the preliminaries of the 
trial had been arranged, the bribed witnesses 
appear, and in the attempt to give convicting 
evidence are guilty of self-evident exaggera- 
tion, but at the same time bear unwitting tes- 
timony to the zeal and earnestness of the pris- 
oner as a preacher of the gospel. While this 
false testimony is being given, the attention of 
the court is suddenly turned from the witness- 
es to the remarkable appearance of the pris- 
oner, whose face is illuminated with a smile so 
calm and serene, so joyous and divine, that he 
seems almost transformed into an angel. After 
the charge has been established to the full sat- 
isfaction of the court, the prisoner is allowed 
to speak in his own defense. Less concerned 
about his personal safety than about the sal- 
vation of his fellow-men and the honor of 
his Master, his speech is more an argument 



102 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

_ _ _ 

to prove the Messiahship of the crucified Naz- 
arene than an effort to defend himself. But 
seeing that his words are lost upon his prej- 
udiced hearers, he concludes abruptly with 
a short and direct application, in which he 
charges them with the willful and deliberate 
murder of God's Son. The argument was un- 
answerable, and the application unmistakable ; 
but, instead of producing conviction of sin, 
the speech only enraged the audience, who 
"gnashed on the speaker with their teeth." 
The same language is used by our Lord to de- 
scribe the finally lost (Matt. viii. 12, xiii. 42); 
so that, as Abbott suggests, " the passions of 
hell break forth in manifestations of malice 
and rage even on earth." No longer concerned 
about the action of the court, the prisoner 
stands " gazing up into heaven," as if contem- 
plating the beauty of his future home; and 
"he saw the glory of God" — a fitting sequel 
to his address, whose key-note and constant 
refrain is, " The glory of God! " Neither paint- 
er's pencil nor poet's pen can ever adequately 
portray this scene, " in which the rage of hell 



The First Martyrdom. 103 

grins horrible from men as they sit condemned 
by their own frail prisoner, and see heaven 
beaming from his countenance and opening 
full upon his view." Stephen, in this hour of 
severe trial, receives a special and sensible 
manifestation of the divine presence, for he 
sees in the distance his glorified Redeemer, 
not sitting as he is usually represented (Matt, 
xxvi. 24; Mark xvi. 19; Eph. i. 20; Col. iii. 1), 
but "standing on the right-hand of God," as 
Chrysostom suggests, " as if ready to welcome 
and do honor to the first martyr for his cause." 
This sudden appearance of his beloved Master 
causes Stephen to forget his surroundings and 
to cry out in the wild ecstasy of his delight, 
" Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the 
Son of man standing on the-right hand of 
God! " According to Brown, " this is the only 
time that our Lord is by human lips called the 
"Son of man" after his ascension; but, full of 
the Holy Ghost, Stephen speaks now entirely 
by the Spirit, and is led to repeat the very 
words in which Jesus himself before this same 
council had foretold his glorification (Matt. 



104 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

X£\ r i. 64), assuring them that that exaltation of 
the " Son of man," which they should here- 
after witness to their dismay, was already ac- 
complished." Stephen's exclamation was too 
much for the members of the Sanhedrim, for 
in it they recognized a repetition of the 
alleged blasphemy of the hated Nazarene; 
and no longer regarding the dignity of the 
court, with one spontaneous impulse and with 
mob violence they rush upon him and hurry 
out of the council chamber and beyond the 
city limits, in obedience to their ceremonial 
law (Lev. xxiv. 14; Num. xv. 35; 1 Kings xxi. 
13). But they were not so scrupulous about 
observing the moral law, which forbade them 
to commit murder; for, having complied with 
the ceremonial requirements, they gladly put 
their prisoner to death, although no sentence 
had been passed upon him by the court, and 
if there had been they had no right to execute 
it (John xviii. 31); so that Stephen's death 
was a foul murder by a malicious mob, with- 
out one mitigating circumstance to palliate or 
excuse the fiendish cruelty. 



The First Martyrdom. 105 

Arriving at the place of execution, the wit- 
nesses who had been bribed to give testimony 
against the prisoner eagerly avail themselves 
of their legal privilege ( ?), Deut. xvii. 5-7, to 
hurl the first stones at the object of their envy 
and hate. In order the better to execute their 
bloody work, they give their long outer cloaks 
into the hands of "a young man whose name 
was Saul." This is the first glimpse we have 
of the afterward renowned hero of the Church; 
and in the language of the eloquent Brown: 
" How thrilling is this our first introduction to 
one to whom Christianity, whether as devel- 
oped in the New Testament or as established 
in the world, owes more perhaps than to all 
the other apostles together! Here he is, per- 
haps having a seat already in the Sanhedrim, 
some thirty years of age, in the thick of this 
tumultuous murder of a distinguished witness 
for Christ, not only Consenting unto his 
death,' but doing his own part of the dark 
deed." As the shower of stones begins to fall 
around the dying saint, he lifts his eyes to 
heaven and calls upon the name of his glori- 



106 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

fied Master, not for deliverance for himself, 
but for forgiveness for his murderers; and so, 
"in presenting to Jesus almost the identical 
prayer which he himself had offered upon the 
cross, he renders to him divine worship in the 
most sublime form, and at the most solemn 
moment of his life." That this prayer was 
answered, we have evidence in the conversion 
of Saul; and if the " Church does owe Paul to 
the prayer of Stephen," as Augustine suggests, 
then, like Samson of old, the martyr accom- 
plished more by his death than by his life. 
Notwithstanding his murderous surroundings, 
this noble servant of God had a peaceful death; 
for ere the echo of his prayer had died away, 
he quietly " fell asleep," as if to demonstrate 
the fact that under any circumstances 

Jesus can make a d ying-bed 

Feel soft as downy pillows are, 
While on his breast man leans his head 

And breathes his life out sweetly there. 

"With their anger and malice satiated at last 
with the blood of their victim, the murderous 
mob, who had been led perhaps by the high- 



The First Martyrdom. 107 

priest ( ! ) and Jewish officials, hurry from the 
scene and return to attend upon the ordinances 
of religious worship (?), while the friends of 
the murdered man tenderly gather up the 
bruised and bleeding corpse and place it in the 
silent chambers of the grave. As gleaned 
from Conybeare and Howson, "the death of 
Stephen is a bright passage in the earliest his- 
tory of the Church, and the brightness which 
invests the scene of the martyr's last moments 
was more impressive from its contrast with 
all that has preceded it since the crucifixion of 
Christ. The first apostle who died was a 
traitor; the first Christians whose death is re- 
corded were liars and hypocrites. The king- 
dom of the Son of man was founded in dark- 
ness and gloom, but a heavenly light re-appears 
with the martyrdom of Stephen. The revela- 
tion of such a character at the moment of 
death was the strongest of all evidences and 
the highest of all encouragements. Nothing 
could more confidently assist the divine power 
of the new religion; nothing could prophesy 
more surely the certainty of its final victory. 



108 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

A man " full of faith " is a man full of 
"power." 

Infidelity is never " able to resist " the "wis- 
dom " of Christianity. 

Bigotry uses bribes and persecutions instead 
of arguments. 

God's truth, like a two-edged sword, " cuts to 
the heart." 

In order to "see the glory of God," one 
must be "full of the Holy Ghost." 

Our brightest visions often appear in the 
midst of our severest trials. 

True piety forgives and prays for its perse- 
cutors. 

The Christian does not die; he merely "falls 
asleep" in Jesus, and "awakes in his likeness" 
amidst the glories of heaven. 

Faith robs death of all its terrors, and 
paints upon the gloom of the grave the bright 
bow of hope. 

No true life ever fails; for though a " Ste- 
phen" may die, his very death will result in 
the conversion of some "Saul of Tarsus." 



CHAPTER X. 

THE GOSPEL AND PERSECUTION. 

THE murder of Stephen was the signal for 
beginning a general persecution against 
the Church. The martyr's death only inten- 
sified the thirst of the mob for blood, and 
they hurried away from his execution to seek 
other victims; for, according to Luke's record, 
"at that time there was a great persecution 
against the Church which was at Jerusalem," 
beginning doubtless on the very day of the 
martyr's death. " So long as the apostles, who 
were Hebrews, preached the gospel to the He- 
brews, and the issue was between them and the 
Sadducees, who were powerful but unpopular, 
the feeling of the people was with the apostles; 
but when the gospel was preached by a Greek, 
and accompanied with the declaration that 
Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed, 
and the offer of mercy made to all nations, it 

became odious." But God overruled the very 

(109) 



110 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

wrath of Lis enemies for the glory of his name 
and the accomplishment of his purposes. 
Since the new religion was not designed to be 
local or national, but general and universal, 
persecution became a means of disseminating 
the gospel by scattering its adherents abroad 
over the world, and the idea of centraliza- 
tion in Jerusalem gradually gave place to one 
of extension and colonization; for wherever 
the disciples fled they scattered the seeds of 
truth and life. Thus Stephen's death, under 
the guiding hand of God, carried eternal life 
to multitudes of his fellow-men, and led to the 
fulfillment of the Master's prophecy that his 
disciples should be "witnesses for him not 
only in Jerusalem, but in all Judea, and in Sa- 
maria, and unto the uttermost parts of the 
earth." (Acts i. 8.) While others were flee- 
ing for their lives, the apostles remained with 
the mother Church to watch over its interests, 
because their presence was most needed there; 
and, strengthened by divine grace, they were 
ready now to die for the cause of the Lord 
whom they formerly deserted; and that they 



The Gospel and Persecution. Ill 

could so remain in Jerusalem shows that the 
persecution was as yet the action of a mob. 
Another reason, perhaps, why they were per- 
mitted to remain was because they were He- 
brews, and as such shared to some extent in 
the prejudices of their unconverted brethren 
(Acts ix. 14); whereas, when the era of preach- 
ing to the Gentiles was inaugurated, that du- 
ty was intrusted to Grecians. None of the 
twelve, so far as recorded, ever preached to the 
Gentiles, except Peter and John; so the anger 
of the Jews passed by the apostles and ex- 
pended itself upon the offending Grecians, of 
whom Stephen was a conspicuous leader. 

Prominent among the leaders of the perse- 
cution was the young and gifted but greatly 
misguided "Saul of Tarsus." So fierce was 
his anger against the Church that he spared 
neither age nor sex, but violently dragged to 
the gloomy prison all classes and conditions 
alike, as he afterward penitently confesses 
(Acts xxii. 4, xxvi. 9-11; 1 Cor. xv. 9; Gal. i. 
13; Phil. iii. 6; 1 Tim. i. 13). 

Besides Stephen, another of the "seven dea- 



112 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

cons" attained eminence as a preacher of the 
gospel: this was Philip, who, driven from 
Jerusalem by the persecution, fled to Samaria, 
where he preached the glad tidings of salva- 
tion, and confirmed his teachings by many not- 
able miracles (Acts viii. 67), in consequence of 
which many were converted to Christianity. 
The city of Samaria was some forty miles north 
of Jerusalem, and was built by Omri, King of 
Israel (1 Kings xvi. 23, 24). It was the cap- 
ital of the ten tribes until the captivity. Sa- 
maria was conquered by Shalmaneser, King of 
Assyria, 721 B.C. (2 Kings xviii. 9, 10), and 
afterward repeopled by Esarhaddon (2 Kings 
xvii. 24), who subsequently sent a captive 
priest to teach the people " how they should 
fear the Lord." So that, although heathen, 
the Samaritans adopted in part the Jewish re- 
ligion, and from time to time received rene- 
gade Jews, until they laid claim to Jewish 
blood (John iv. 12), and really occupied a sort 
of middle ground between Jew and Gentile. 
The fact of their receiving the gospel was 
therefore a matter of agreeable surprise to 



The Gospel and Persecution. 113 

the apostles, who, finding the spiritual king- 
dom thus gradually widening before them, and 
feeling their responsibility as the divinely 
constituted custodians and organizers of the 
Church, "send unto them Peter and John," 
for the purpose of inspecting the work and 
encouraging the new converts. Peter was ev- 
idently not pope at this time (?), nor even 
bishop, for he was one of the sent and not the 
sender. This is the last mention of John in 
the Acts, and the last but one in the New Tes- 
tament (Gal. ii. 9), except as his name occurs 
in his own writings. He quietly drops out of 
notice while engaged in the first missionary 
work of the Church. The apostles in all their 
missionary work seem to have followed the ex- 
ample of their Master (Mark vi. 7; Luke x. 1), 
in sending two of their number together (Acts 
xiii. 2, xv. 39, 40). "When Peter and John 
reached the scene of the Samaritan revival, and 
beheld the results of Philip's preaching, they 
were impressed with the need of the Spirit's 
presence to confer upon the converts super- 
natural and miraculous power; and being 



114 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

themselves unable to impart the Holy Ghost, 
they engage in earnest prayer for his miracu- 
lous manifestations, and at once their prayer 
is answered. Among the professed converts 
was one Simon, a celebrated magician, who 
had long wielded great power over the Samar- 
itans by means of his sorcery. Looking upon 
the missionaries as also magicians, only pos- 
sessed of more knowledge of the hidden mys- 
teries than he had obtained, he identifies him- 
self with the Church in the hope of securing 
the secret of their great power, and observing 
that " through the laying on of the apostles' 
hands the Holy Ghost was given," he seeks to 
bribe them into revealing to him what he sup- 
posed to be only a sorcerer's secret. Peter, 
perceiving his object, and by divine guidance 
reading his character, administers a severe re- 
buke, and exhorts him to repent of his great 
sin and pray to God for pardon. The apostle 
saw clearly that he was unconverted, and so not 
only in danger himself, but liable to lead oth- 
ers astray by his corrupt influence. Alarmed 
perhaps by Peter's words, and believing that 



The Gospel and Persecution. 115 

he has some peculiar power with God, the 
sorcerer asks that the apostle will use his in- 
fluence to avert the wrath of heaven; for his 
request evinces no penitence whatever, only a 
fear of punishment. What became of Simon 
is not certainly known. Tradition represents 
him as a leader of heresy, and the founder of 
the " Simonians " of the second century, whose 
creed was a mixture of Jewish religion with 
pagan philosophy. At any rate, his guilty con- 
duct has been immortalized in the word " Si- 
mony," which denotes trafficking in sacred 
things, and his case sadly illustrates the con- 
dition of the spurious convert. He no doubt 
believed the gospel intellectually, accepted the 
creed of the Church, was baptized, and form- 
ally admitted as a member, and so far as hu- 
man eye could see was a Christian. But when 
the mask was torn off by divine power it re- 
vealed no sorrow for sin, no faith in Christ, no 
consecration to God's service, but only a base 
desire to increase his own worldly interests. 

The representatives from the Jerusalem 
Church, having completed the organization of 



116 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

the Church in Samaria, begin their homeward 
journey, which they make a missionary tour, 
stopping at the various villages along their way 
to preach the gospel. It is interesting to note 
that one of the two who thus call down the 
Holy Ghost as a baptism of fire for the salva- 
tion of these Samaritan villagers was the very 
man who, only a few short months before, 
when carried away by his Jewish prejudices, 
had desired to call down upon them literal fire 
for their destruction. (Luke ix. 54.) While 
the apostles are thus returning to the mother 
Church to make their report, Philip, the dea- 
con-preacher, continues his labors as a mis- 
sionary, and by divine direction turns his foot- 
steps southward toward " Gaza," a very old 
town (Gen. x. 19) in the extreme south of 
Canaan, some sixty miles from Jerusalem. In 
making this journey he was directed to avoid' 
the public highway and take the lonely road 
through the "desert;" and although neither 
knowing the place of his destination nor the 
object of his journey, yet, in the exercise of a 
sublime faith almost rivaling that of Abra- 



The Gospel and Persecution. 117 

ham, he unhesitatingly obeys the strange com- 
mand — strange, because it calls him away 
apparently without any reason, when he is 
engaged in the very midst of a most success- 
ful revival. But he has not gone far on his 
lonely journey before the divine purpose be- 
comes manifest; for as he walks along, wonder- 
ing why he is thus called away from Samaria, 
he sees in the distance a splendid chariot with 
gorgeous equipage and every thing to indicate 
wealth and power on the part of the owner. 
By divine direction the missionary approaches 
the chariot, and finds its occupant to be a high 
official of the Ethiopian court, who had been 
up to Jerusalem to engage in the services 
of Pentecost. He was doubtless a Jewish 
proselyte; and although, as the chief officer in 
Ethiopia, his time must have been largely en- 
grossed with official business, yet he finds op- 
portunity to make this long journey to worship 
God. He has left an example that business 
men might very profitably imitate. Having 
gone so far, he probably remained in Jerusa- 
lem some time after the Feast of Pentecost, 



118 Day-dawn of Christianity. 



and was just now returning home. When 
Philip approaches he finds him busily engaged 
in reading the sacred Scriptures, as a substi- 
tute perhaps for the temple services, the loss 
of which he feels most keenly; or perhaps 
having witnessed the miracles performed by 
the apostles in Jerusalem at Pentecost, and 
knowing that they were attributed to the pow- 
er of the crucified Nazarene, he is earnestly 
seeking light from the Old Testament proph- 
ecies to determine for himself whether or not 
the murdered man was the true Messiah. Ac- 
cordingly, Philip finds him reading aloud, not 
the law nor Bible history, but the Old Testa- 
ment gospel, especially that portion of it so 
strikingly fulfilled in the then recent tragedy 
of the cross. The passage of Scripture he 
was attempting to interpret (Isaiah liii. 7, 8) is 
one peculiarly important and obscure, except 
as interpreted in the light of its fulfillment; 
and hence the apparently abrupt question of 
the preacher is justified, especially as the form 
of it in the Greek implies a negative answer, 
and removes all harshness and seeming dis- 



Tlie Gospel and Persecution. 119 

courtesy. Frankly admitting his ignorance 
and perplexity, the royal traveler invites the 
unknown stranger to a seat by his side, and 
eagerly listens to the exposition of the plan of 
salvation as it is carefully unfolded by his new- 
found friend. Taking the passage under con- 
sideration as a text, Philip shows how it had 
been fulfilled in the death of Christ, how that 
death brought life to every believer, and how 
that belief was to be attested by baptism. 
And as the chariot rolls on its way, the busy 
occupants earnestly discussing the plan of 
salvation, it suddenly brings them in sight of 
water, which is no sooner seen by the new 
convert than he eagerly exclaims: "Behold, 
water! what doth hinder me to be baptized? " 
The Greek suggests the idea of a small quan- 
tity of water, and the character of the country 
as a "desert" confirms the suggestion. All 
that was seen was doubtless some streamlet 
that trickled across the road; but it was to the 
renewed soul of the eunuch a joyful sight as 
furnishing him the opportunity of identifying 
himself with the Christian Church. To Phil- 



120 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

ip's explanation of fitness he yields a ready- 
assent, and joyfully professing his faith in the 
crucified Christ as a personal Saviour, he com- 
mands his servant to stop the chariot, and 
alighting therefrom he receives baptism at the 
hands of the missionary, and is at once ad- 
mitted into the visible Church. Whether the 
rite was performed by immersion or sprink- 
ling the language does not indicate, nor does 
it indicate any thing whatever in regard to the 
depth or extent of the water, though it sug- 
gests a small quantity. But if it is claimed 
that the language does imply immersion, then 
both preacher and convert were immersed, for 
what is affirmed of one is distinctly stated of 
the other: "They both went down into the 
water, both Philip and the eunuch." If, then, 
the language necessarily implies immersion in 
the one case, it does in the other; but if it 
does not necessarily imply it in the one case, 
it is unfair to claim it in the other. There 
were two sacraments given to the Christian 
Church: one intended to set forth Christ's 
redemptive work, the other to symbolize the 



The Gospel and Persecution. 121 

Spirit's cleansing power. The Lord's Supper 
lias no reference to the Spirit, nor has baptism 
any direct reference to Christ. The mode of 
baptism is therefore directly deducible from 
its significance. These Oriental travelers, then, 
barefoot, or at any rate wearing only sandals, 
step down into the little brook as it crosses 
their way; and Philip, taking up some water in 
his hand, or on a branch plucked from some 
neighboring bush, reverently sprinkles it on 
his companion in imitation of his Jewish an- 
cestors from time immemorial in the perform- 
ance of their baptismal rites — or else pours it 
upon the head of the eunuch as an act sym- 
bolizing the baptism of the Holy Ghost, as he 
had witnessed it in Jerusalem and also in Sa- 
maria only a few short days before. Having 
thus accomplished the work for which he had 
been sent into the desert, Philip, under the 
guidance of the Divine Spirit, seeks another 
field of labor; while the eunuch, absorbed in 
his new joy, having found the Saviour and 
sealed his discipleship, hurries home to pro- 
claim the glad tidings to his countrymen. 



122 Dan-dawn of Christianity. 

Philip, with true missionary spirit, preaches 
£rom village to village until he comes to Ces- 
area, where he makes his permanent home 
perhaps; at least we find him there some 
twenty or thirty years later, surrounded by an 
adult family. (Acts xxi. 8, 9. ) This was not 
the Cesarea Philippi of the Gospels (Matt. 
xvi. 13, Mark viii. 27), but an ancient sea-port 
on the Mediterranean, some sixty miles north- 
west of Jerusalem, where Peter visited Corne- 
lius (Acts x. 1), and where Paul was afterward 
imprisoned (Acts xxiii. 23). This is the last 
notice we have of Philip as an active preacher, 
while Stephen has been "called up higher," 
and John disappears after his return from Sa- 
maria; so that one by one the original found- 
ers of the Church are lost to sight, and others 
take their places. God's ways are thus often 
strange and mysterious, though always wisest 
and best. He permits persecution to invade 
the Church at Jerusalem, but by it he causes 
the gospel to be preached to the Gentiles. He 
allows Stephen to be put to death ere the in- 
itial note of the gospel for all men has died 



The Gospel and Persecution. 123 

away, but through the influence of that peace- 
ful death he raises up Paul to become the 
grandest missionary the world has ever known. 
He removes Philip from the crowded streets 
and eager multitudes of Samaria to preach the 
gospel to a lone traveler in the desert, but by 
it, according to tradition, he causes the glad 
tidings of salvation to be proclaimed in Ethi- 
opia. All these results, and in fact the whole 
work of missions in its ever-widening influ- 
ence, may thus be directly traced to the hero- 
ism and fidelity of Stephen, thereby frilly at- 
testing the truth of the old adage, " The blood 
of martyrs is the seed of the Church." 
Truths to be Treasured. 

" Satan often makes missionaries where he 
tries to make martyrs." 

Christians should go " everywhere preaching 
the gospel," and should preach the gospel 
wherever they go. 

The salvation of sinners causes the Church 
to rejoice. 

The Holy Ghost is given in answer to 
prayer. 



124 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

The false professor of religion joins the 
company of believers for worldly and selfish 
interests. 

Money and the worshipers of it will alike 
perish. 

God's favor cannot be bought. His grace is 
free. 

Creed and ceremonial observance, baptism 
and Church-membership, amount to nothing 
if the "heart is not right in the sight of 
God." 

Repentance and prayer will secure pardon 
for sin. 

Sin originates in the " thought of the heart." 

Sinners are " in the gall of bitterness and in 
the bond of iniquity." 

Sinners are more anxious to escape from the 
penalty than from the power of sin. 

Prayer in person is better than prayer by 
proxy. 

True piety does not permit the business cares 
of life to prevent the worship of God. 

The best substitute for public worship is the 
private study of God's word. 



The Gospel and Persecution. 125 

"All Scripture is given by inspiration, and is 
profitable." 

God's providence furnishes opportunities for 
doing good. 

It is better to read the Bible and not under- 
stand it than not to read it at all. 

Humility and docility readily find a teacher. 

The details of the crucifixion were given 
centuries before it occurred. 

Earnest inquiry after truth receives a rich 
reward. 

The Prophecies, as well as the Gospels, are 
full of Jesus. 

True faith eagerly embraces the opportunity 
to confess Christ. 

Faith in Christ as the Son of God is neces^ 
sary to salvation. 

The influence of the Christian's death often 
results m the salvation of others. 



CHAPTER XL 

SA UL OF TABSVS. 

TURNING from the « desert road" in the 
south of Palestine to one in the extreme 
north, we encounter another traveler, whose 
character and mission stand out in such strik- 
ing contrast with those of the pious Philip 
that one cannot fail to be deeply impressed; 
and instinctively the mind goes out in eager 
interest to know more of the stranger, A 
close scrutiny reveals features so striking that 
instantly the memory recalls them and asso- 
ciates them with the martyrdom of Stephen, 
as prominent in the scene of blood stands the 
manly form of this young stranger gazing with 
earnest interest into the uplifted face of the 
dying saint. Not only has he given his " vote M 
in the mock trial which results thus in the 
prisoner's death, but he voluntarily holds the 
long outer clothing of the executioners, thai 

they may not be hindered in their bloody 
(126) 



Saul of Tarsus. 127 

work. Amidst such dark and forbidding 
scenes the world has its first introduction to 
the grandest man who ever trod upon its soil 
or found a grave beneath its surface; and from 
this introduction something may be gleaned in 
regard to his present character and condition. 
If not a member of the Sanhedrim at this 
time, he must have been elected thereto soon 
afterward, for he himself tells us (Acts xxvi 
10) that when the Christians were put to death 
he "gave his voice against them;" from which 
it is but natural to infer that he was a member 
of the supreme court of judicature. This ex- 
plains his eager interest in persecuting th§ 
followers of Christ, whom he regarded as an 
impostor. His purpose was not to oppose re-, 
ligion, but to destroy what he considered an 
heretical sect, so that his very disposition to 
persecute the Church was itself an evidence 
of his desire to honor God; and h^ tells us 
that he obtained forgiveness for his sinful 
conduct because "what he did was through 
ignorance. " The entire history of this grand 
hero of the cross it would be interesting to 



128 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

trace, but of his early life we have only a few 
fragments preserved. From these we learn 
that he was of the tribe of Benjamin. (Rom. ii. 
1; Phil. iii. 5.) He was born in "Tarsus, a 
city of Cilicia," in matters of education and 
learning the rival of Athens and Alexandria, 
the seats of the great universities of that day. 
In the providence of God he thus enjoyed the 
most favorable opportunities for acquiring a 
liberal education in the arts and sciences, and 
in his subsequent life we have abundant evi- 
dence that he made good use of these oppor- 
tunities. His parents w T ere zealous Jews, and 
carefully instilled into his infant mind the ru- 
dimentary truths of their religion; but not 
content with this, they sent him to Jerusalem, 
the capital city of their nation, and placed 
him in the school of Gamaliel (Acts xxii. 3), 
perhaps the most celebrated Jewish teacher 
of that day. Educated thus in the strictest 
school of the Pharisees, by the greatest and 
most orthodox of teachers, he was " taught 
according to the perfect manner of the law of 
the fathers," and " receiving from the univer- 



Saul of Tarsus. 129 



sity of Jerusalem the diploma of rabbi, was 
subsequently elected to the Sanhedrim as a 
scribe." He was thus thoroughly educated in 
both science and theology, and was well qual- 
ified for the important position he was after- 
ward called to occupy in the Church; and by 
his labors and letters he left a broader and 
deeper impress upon its history and destiny 
than all his co-laborers combined— a fact 
which stands out conspicuously as a most pow- 
erful argument in favor of an educated min- 
istry. For many years the history of the 
Church crystallizes around the name of Paul; 
and perhaps more of her success in the world 
is due to him than to any other man who ever 
lived; and yet, physically considered, few men 
ever had more hinderances than he. Tradition 
represents him as having a frail physique and 
infirm health, and the few glimpses into his 
private life given us by Luke, his companion 
and physician, seem to confirm the correctness 
of the opinion. He speaks of a "thorn in 
the flesh," of which he was exceedingly anx- 
ious to rid himself. Some suppose that the 



130 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

trouble was an affliction of the eyes, caused 
perhaps, by the dazzling light that blinded 
him at Damascus; but whatever the "thorn" 
was, it was doubtless some physical infirmity 
which gave him great annoyance. In most 
striking contrast with the frailty of his body 
stands the strength of his intellect. The few 
fragments of his speeches which we find re- 
corded prove that as an orator the world has 
seldom seen his equal, and perhaps never his 
superior. His speech before Agrippa and his 
argument on ''Mars' Hill" have long chal- 
lenged the admiration of thoughtful men, 
and clearly prove that his tongue could utter 
words of burning eloquence as well as of sound 
logic; while his Epistles are filled with the 
sublimest truths and profoundest thoughts to 
be found in the w r ritings of any author. By 
birth he inherited the proud distinction and 
high privilege of Eoman citizenship, by virtue 
of which fact he escaped danger, and perhaps 
death, upon more than one occasion (Acts xvi. 
37-39, xxii. 26-28); and being both Jew and 
Eoman, he was known by two names. As a 



Said of Tarsus. 131 



Jew lie was called by hi§ parents " Saul, " 
meaning "the desired one;" but as a Roman 
citizen he received also the name of " Paul," 
meaning "the little one," a nickname given 
him perhaps because of his low stature and 
frail physique — given perchance in derision by 
the haughty Romans to the little Jew — but, 
like many other nicknames, it has since become 
sacred and immortal,known and loved wherever 
the history of the grand man who bore it found 
its way. From his very infancy he was conse- 
crated to God, and even before his conversion 
to Christianity his life was conspicuously ex- 
emplary and rigidly conformed to all the re- 
quirements of the Mosaic law. (Phil. iii. 5, 6.) 
His moral character was above reproach, and 
shines resplendent by the side of that of many 
who expect by virtue of their morality to gain 
the divine favor and enter heaven. Yet it was 
far from sufficient to satisfy the claims of a 
perfect law, as he afterward found and peni- 
tently confessed. How vain, then, are the hopes 
of those who confessedly fall below the meas- 
ure of Paul's morality! At the time indicated 



132 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

in the opening of this chapter he stands forth 
as a mature man in the very prime of life, of 
noble birth and unblemished character, an ex- 
cellent scholar and eloquent orator, occupying 
a seat in the supreme court of the Jewish na- 
tion, honored by his countrymen and flattered 
by his friends, and yet esteeming all as of sec- 
ondary importance in the intense zeal which 
he felt for the honor of his God. That this 
was his one absorbing thought is clearly evi- 
dent from the conspicuous part he took in 
persecuting the Church which he regarded as 
an enemy to the God of his fathers. Not con- 
tent wdth apprehending and incarcerating the 
helpless Christians of Jerusalem, he goes to 
the proper authorities and secures the right to 
pursue and arrest the fugitive disciples who 
are fleeing hither and thither in search of safe- 
ty; and, as if to prove beyond question his 
bitter hatred of the cause of Christ, he under- 
takes the long, toilsome journey of one hun- 
dred and forty miles, from Jerusalem to Da- 
mascus, for the avowed purpose of securing 
certain refugee Christians who have there 



Saul of Tarsus. 133 



found an asylum. It was upon this memora- 
ble journey that the whole current of his life 
was changed, and the proud persecutor was 
transformed into the very prince of preachers; 
and henceforth he flashes, meteor-like, from 
city to city and from country to country in the 
intense ardor of his love and the impetuosity 
of his zeal for the very cause which he had 
hitherto despised and sought to destroy. 
There are three accounts of this remarkable 
conversion given in the inspired record (Acts 
ix. 1-18, xxii. 4-13, xxvi. 11-15), which are all, 
however, essentially the same. From these we 
learn that Saul, in his eager desire to destroy 
the Church, was hurrying along with certain 
confederates toward Damascus for the purpose 
of arresting the Christians who had there 
found a safe retreat, as they supposed, from 
the angry jealousy of the Jews. Damascus 
was so far removed from Jerusalem that it was 
doubtless considered a safe home for the per- 
secuted followers of Christ, and large numbers 
of them, perhaps, fled thither. At any rate, 
we know that many Jews resided there, for 



134 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

they had several synagogues which were sub- 
ject to the authority of the Sanhedrim, and it 
was to these that Saul was sent to arrest any 
Christians that might be found among them, 
and carry them up to Jerusalem for trial. By 
his commission he was authorized to arrest 
women as well as men, and three times women 
are mentioned (Acts viii. 3, ix. 2, xxii. 4) as 
the objects of Paul's persecution, as if to in- 
dicate the intensity of his cruelty. The city 
to which the fierce persecutor was journeying 
is worthy of a moment's notice. It was the 
oldest city in the- world- — founded, according to 
Jewish tradition, by Uz, the great-grandson of 
Noah, and is pointed out as the scene of Abel's 
murder. It was certainly as old as Abraham 
(Gen. xiv. 15), and has its name inseparably 
associated with the miraculous cure of Naaman 
(2 Kings v. 12), and rendered immortal by its 
connection with the thrilling events of Saul's 
conversion. It was the ancient capital of 
Syria, situated in a plain of great fertility, and 
still exists as an important city with a popula- 
tion of upward of a hundred thousand. To- 



Saul of Tarsus. 135 

ward this ancient and interesting city Saul 
and his companions were journeying about 
noon, when suddenly there flashed forth a light 
from heaven surpassing in its dazzling bright- 
ness even the midday glare of the Syrian sun. 
So intense was the light that it could not be 
confounded with any mere natural phenome- 
non, and it came unmistakably from heaven; 
for in the midst of it the amazed persecutor 
caught that vision of Jesus (1 Cor. ix. 1, xv. 
8), which so impressed itself upon his mind 
and heart that ever afterward he saw nothing 
else and cared for nothing else. Like the phi- 
losopher who looked upon the sun until he 
could see nothing but its fiery, burning disk, 
so Paul, absorbed in the contemplation of this 
enrapturing vision of the glorified Redeemer, 
was ever after blind to all the attractions of 
the world. As the light flashed upon the toil- 
worn travelers, they fell prostrate to the earth; 
and as the trembling persecutor lay thus help- 
less, with his eyes riveted upon the heavenly 
vision, he heard a voice — clear, articulate, and 
distinct — addressing him in the Hebrew Ian- 



136 Bay-dawn of Christianity. 

guage and calling him by his Hebrew name. 
The voice was heard by his companions, but 
the words were understood by himself alone, 
and they sunk deep into his conscience-strick- 
en soul. The speaker unmistakably identifies 
himself with his suffering disciples, and de- 
mands why he is thus persecuted. Vaguely 
realizing who the speaker is, but overwhelmed 
with astonishment, the trembling persecutor 
in faltering accents asks, "Who art thou, 
Lord?" and instantly the reply is given, "I 
am Jesus, whom thou persecutest." Thus his 
guilty conduct is represented in its most ap^ 
palling character; and as if to convince him 
of the futility of his efforts to overthrow the 
Church, our Lord calls himself by the name 
of his humiliation, and shows him that the 
hated Nazarene is now enthroned in glory, and 
so far beyond the reach of mere finite power. 
The clamors of his conscience overwhelm him 
as he begins to realize that he is addressed by 
no other than the very one whose cause he was 
seeking to destroy; and as one bewildered, 
vaguely realizing that something is required 



Saul of Tarsus. 137 

of him, but he knows not what, he asks in fal- 
tering tones, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to 
do? " This question clearly indicates that he 
recognized the speaker as the hitherto hated 
Nazarene; and seeing him thus enthroned in 
glory and possessed of infinite power, he is 
convinced that his past life, both in thought 
and deed, has been one long-protracted mis- 
take, which he is now anxious to rectify. He 
then seeks to know the divine will, ready to 
obey it whatever it may be; but the circum- 
stances are unfavorable for a full revelation of 
that will, nor indeed is he prepared yet to re- 
ceive it. He must be allowed time for calm 
and careful consideration, and so he is direct- 
ed to arise and go into Damascus that he may 
there learn his duty from God's servant. He 
was to enter Damascus for a purpose and 
in a manner far different from his original 
expectations. He expected to go as the proud 
leader of a gorgeous pageant, but instead he 
is led in penitent humiliation and helpless 
blindness; for when the glorious vision of his 
new Master had vanished, the rich effulgence 



138 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

of his presence had shut out all other objects, 
and instead of seeking the company of his 
haughty countrymen, he doubtless secures 
through his companions some quiet lodging- 
place, and there he remains for three days 
wrapped in midnight darkness, neither eating 
nor drinking. Thus cut off from the world, 
having neither Christian communion nor Jew- 
ish sympathy, he gives himself up to earnest 
thought. With bitter regret memory wanders 
back over the scenes of the past, while imagi- 
nation tries to forecast the future. He thinks 
not only of what he has done, but of what he 
must now give up. On the one hand are 
grouped his ambition, his rank, his wealth, his 
worldly honor, and his former friends; on the 
other stand difficulty, danger, and death— but 
with them, and shedding its heavenly luster 
over them, is the glorious vision of the risen 
Redeemer. For three long, lonely days he is 
thus given up to an intense inward conflict, 
but at the end of that time his decision is firm 
and unalterable. He has " counted the cost," 
and deliberately made his choice. Esteeming 



Saul of Tarsus. 139 



the reproach of Christ greater riches than all 
the treasures of the world — " choosing rather 
to suffer affliction with the people of God than 
to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season " — he 
henceforth " determines to know nothing but 
Christ and him crucified." His very blindness 
is a mercy, shutting him out from the world 
that he may the better consider the issues be- 
fore him. But this season of trial and prepa- 
ration ended, the Lord sends his servant Ana- 
nias to make known to him his duty; for God 
has ordained that men shall learn the truth 
from the lips of their fellow-men rather than 
directly from himself or through angelic agen- 
cy, as attested both here and in the case of 
Cornelius. (Acts x. 5, 6.) Knowing full well 
the object of Saul's /mission to Damascus, 
Ananias fears to obey the divine command and 
begins to remonstrate with God. Patiently he 
listens to his timorous servant, and then ex- 
plains to him that he has chosen the proud 
persecutor for a special purpose, and gives 
him evidence that he is already a changed 
man, because even at that moment he is en- 



140 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

gaged in prayer. Thus assured, Ananias starts 
out, and following the minute directions which 
God had given him, he soon finds the penitent 
persecutor and reveals to him the plan of sal- 
vation and a knowledge of the divine will; and 
as the heavenly light dawns upon his darkened 
mind his blinded eyes are opened to see again 
the light of the natural w r orld. Thus prepared 
for membership in the Christian Church, Paul 
receives the rite of initiation at the hands of 
the godly Ananias, and affords at least one ex- 
ample which the immersionists cannot claim, 
for he was undoubtedly " baptized standing 
up," as we learn from the record in the orig* 
inal Greek. Now a member of the Christian 
Church, with his mind relieved of its terrible 
load of conscious guilt, the humble disciple 
has time once more to think of the wants of 
his body, and partakes of food to counter- 
act his physical prostration. Paul's conver- 
sion is generally considered as exceptional, 
and it was undoubtedly remarkable; yet it has 
many features in common with every other 
conversion. Like many another penitent, he 



Saul of Tarsus. 141 

spent three long, weary days in an intense 
straggle with himself; and when at last he 
gained the victory, and the light dawned upon 
his troubled soul, it was through the influence 
of divine truth as unfolded and explained by 
one of God's ministering servants. 
Truths to be Treasured. 

God's power can triumph over man's pride. 
i Jesus identifies himself with his people: 
their cause is his cause. 

"Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" 
should be the constant prayer of every one. 

Providence arranges for answering the ques- 
tions of earnest inquirers after salvation. 

God reveals himself to one, while he con- 
ceals himself from another. 

Leaders in other things must often be led in 
spiritual matters. 

" Man proposes, but God disposes." 

Fasting, meditation, and prayer are good for 
the soul. 

The Lord knows his people by name, and 
communicates with them individually. 

The Lord not only understands, but he or- 



142 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ders the details of every circumstance in 
life. 

Prayer is the exponent and index of piety. 

God works through human instrumentality. 

The best of men are but human, and often 
evince a want of faith. 

God chooses his own instruments, and as- 
signs them their position. 

Patient suffering glorifies God, as well as 
active service. 

Christians are all brethren. 

God can defend his friends and convert his 
foes. 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE PERSECUTOR A PREACHER. 

HENCEFOBTH the history of the apos- 
tolic Church crystallizes around the name 
of Paul, and he becomes the honored cham- 
pion of Christianity wherever the blood-bathed 
banner of the cross is unfurled. In fact, his 
conversion marks a new era in the history of 
the world, for by his efforts the benign influ- 
ence of the gospel is spread abroad among the 
Gentiles, whereas up to this time it had been 
confined to the Jews. Others were interested 
in making known the glad tidings to their fel- 
low-men, but "in labors he was more abun- 
dant " than they all. He had a sublime concep- 
tion of duty and of the solemn significance of 
life. He felt that it was not a mere idle dream, 
but a solemn reality in which stupendous is- 
sues were involved. He felt that man was not 
an ephemeral being — a mere butterfly, to 
dance for a moment in the sunlight and then 

to pass away forever — but that he w r as pos- 

(143) 



144 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

sessed of an immortal nature, before which 
was opened up the sublimest possibilities. He 
was one of those positive characters whose 
whole soul was thrown into whatever he un- 
dertook; hence he entered upon the service of 
his new Master with all the intense ardor and 
quenchless zeal of his energetic nature. The 
news of his conversion to Christianity, and the 
strange, startling events connected with it, 
doubtless filled Damascus with a flutter of ex- 
citement. His Jewish companions were over- 
whelmed with amazement and bitter disap- 
pointment that their leader had abandoned 
their cause and joined the ranks of those whom 
they sought to destroy, while the Church, 
after the first feeling of incredulity had passed 
away, were filled with joy and gratitude, as 
they welcomed the new convert to a place in 
their membership, and began to realize that 
their cruel enemy was to become their noblest 
defender. This soon became evident, for 
scarcely had his name been entered upon the 
Church records ere he began the grand work 
of preaching the very gospel which he had 



The Persecutor a Preacher. 145 

formerly despised. He knew full well from 
his own experience that it was " the wisdom of 
God and the power of God unto salvation" 
to the believer, and he was eager to publish 
the glad news to others. There was no 
need of delay in his case, for long years be- 
fore, in the universities of Tarsus and Jerusa- 
lem, he had received an education that fully 
qualified him for this responsible position; 
and before others can plead his example for 
hurrying into the ministry, they ought to be 
able to show his qualifications. The theme 
of his preaching from the very outset was 
"Christ and him crucified;" for as he boldly 
entered the Jewish synagogues he earnestly 
sought to convince his deluded countrymen 
that Jesus, whom he had formerly persecuted, 
was no other than their long-promised Mes- 
siah ; and he spoke with such resistless power 
that they could not answer his arguments. 
For awhile they sat spell-bound — overcome 
with amazement at the great change which 
had occurred in the character and conduct of 

the former persecutor, while he— on fire with 
10 



146 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

love for his new Master — gained strength with 
every effort he put forth. The more he 
preached the stronger grew his convictions, 
the clearer his apprehension of the truth, the 
firmer his resolution, and the greater his pow- 
er and influence. His knowledge of the Jew- 
ish Scriptures enabled him to present the 
prophecies in regard to the Messiah along-side 
of their fulfillment in the life and death of 
Jesus of Nazareth; and by piling argument 
upon argument his train of reasoning became 
absolutely irresistible, to the manifest confu- 
sion of his Jewish antagonists. This, natu- 
rally enough, awakened their resentment, and 
they turned against him the argument of per- 
secution, which he himself had formerly taught 
them to use. Thus he was permitted to preach 
in Damascus only a few short days; but the 
triumph of divine grace, which had trans- 
formed the proud persecutor into the acknowl- 
edged champion of the Damascus Church, 
could not fail to make a deep impression upon 
many hearts. Judaism was doubtless shaken 
to its very center, while Christianity received 



The Persecutor a Preacher. 147 

an impetus that carried it triumphantly for- 
ward. With increasing alarm the Jewish 
rulers contemplate the wonderful influence of 
the new preacher, and they determine to si- 
lence by death what they cannot refute by ar- 
gument. But their foul plot is discovered by 
the Church; and although the city gates are 
carefully watched day and night by a military 
guard obtained for the purpose, his friends 
find a way to secure his escape (2 Cor. xi. 33) 
by letting him down in a basket from one of 
the windows overhanging the wall. (Josh. ii. 
15; 1 Sam. xix. 12.) As he thus flees under 
cover of darkness from danger and death, he 
doubtless recalls his own guilty conduct in 
persecuting the Church, and receives the in- 
itial lesson of " how great things he must suf- 
fer " for Christ's sake. It may have been at 
this time that he sought shelter in Arabia 
(Gal. i. 17) from the storms of persecution. 
His restless spirit would not allow him to 
remain long unemployed, and he returns 
again to Damascus; but finding the Jews 
©till determined to kill him, he hurries off to 



148 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

Jerusalem to see the apostles and to preach 
the gospel to his former companions and 
friends. The Church, well acquainted with 
his former character, was distrustful of his 
professed piety, and refused to receive him. 
They suspected that he was acting the part of 
a spy in order that he might the more success- 
fully carry out his plans of persecution. Such 
a reminder of his guilty conduct, only a few 
short weeks before, doubtless overwhelmed 
him with a sense of shame and humiliation; 
and w r hile he is thinking how he is to convince 
the Church that he has been truly converted, 
he providentially meets an old acquaintance 
and former school-mate, to whom he recounts 
all the facts of the strange events at Damas- 
cus and makes known his desire to enter the 
Jerusalem Church. This boyhood companion 
of his was a native of Cyprus, only a few 
hours' sail from Cilicia. Together the two 
young men perhaps had attended the univer- 
sity at Tarsus, and now in this hour of his se- 
vere need Paul finds a true friend in Barnabas, 
who has come to occupy a prominent and in- 



The Persecutor a Preacher. 149 

fluential place in the Church. (Acts iv. 36, 
37.) He believed implicitly what his friend 
told him, and he appears in the presence of 
the Church in his behalf. He recounts the 
strange events connected with Paul's conver- 
sion, his commission to preach the gospel as 
received from the glorified Redeemer himself, 
and the wonderful results which attended his 
preaching in Damascus, and in consequence of 
this interposition he is at length received into 
the fellowship of the Christian brotherhood at 
Jerusalem. As the Church gradually awakes 
to the realization that her most cruel foe has 
become by the transforming grace of God her 
most valiant defender, she doubtless lifts her 
voice to heaven in grateful acknowledgment 
of the divine goodness, and accords to the 
young convert a warm welcome to all her ex- 
alted privileges. Amidst these sacred associ- 
ations Paul remains for a few days, learning 
important lessons from the apostles; but not 
long can he be kept silent, for soon his elo- 
quent voice is heard in the very synagogues, 
doubtless, where he had met the sainted Ste- 



150 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

phen in earnest debate. Then he spoke with 
withering scorn of the hated Nazarene, but 
now, standing perhaps in the presence of the 
same audience, he boldly maintains the truth 
which he had then resisted; and he maintains 
it with such burning eloquence and resistless 
logic as to overwhelm his auditors with aston- 
ishment. Unable to meet his arguments, they 
seek to silence his voice by putting him to 
death; and thus he is once more reminded of 
his own former cruelty in persecuting the 
Church. But again God's providence inter- 
poses in his behalf, and through the agency of 
his brethren he escapes danger, and is sent by 
authority of the Church to his old home in 
Tarsus. How long he remained there we do 
not know, but we may well conjecture that his 
time was busily employed in seeking to lead 
relatives and friends to a knowledge of Christ 
in the pardon of their sins. His preference 
would have been to remain in Jerusalem and 
preach the gospel where he had so earnestly 
sought to destroy it, and gladly would he have 
braved danger and death in order to counter- 



The Persecutor a Preacher. 151 



act the evil influence that he had once exerted 
there; but God's will was otherwise- (Acts xxii. 
18), and notwithstanding his protest against 
leaving Jerusalem he is divinely directed to 
go and preach the gospel to the Gentiles. In 
the persecution that was aroused by his preach- 
ing God opened up the way for his departure 
and for his return to his native land. The ob- 
ject of their hate being thus removed, the rage 
of the Jews soon subsides, and peace and quiet 
reign throughout the borders of the Church. 
This was partly because the principal perse- 
cutor was now a pious preacher, and partly 
because the Emperor Caligula attempted to 
force the Jews into idolatry (Josephus's "An- 
tiquities," xviii. 8-29), which, naturally enough, 
turned their attention away from the Chris- 
tians. In consequence of this reign of peace 
both converts and churches w T ere multiplied 
and advanced rapidly in spiritual knowledge 
and practical piety. 

Truths to be Treasured. 
The true convert seeks the society of Chris- 
tians. 



152 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

God's grace can make a faithful preacher 
out of the fiercest persecutor. 

The world is often astonished at the won- 
ders achieved by divine grace. 

Spiritual strength is measured by spiritual 
exercise. 

Earnest preaching arouses opposition, and 
often persecution. 

Christian sympathy seeks to succor fellow- 
disciples in times of trouble. 

Men's actions are often misunderstood, and 
their motives misinterpreted. 

"A friend in need is a friend indeed." 

The true convert seeks to correct and coun- 
teract the evil influence of his former life. 

When Christians "walk in the fear of the 
Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost," 
both churches and converts are multiplied. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

FIRST-FRUITS FROM THE GENTILES. 

IN recording the conversion of Paul, which 
was intimately connected with the death of 
Stephen and the subsequent persecution of 
the Church, the historian necessarily passes 
over other interesting and important events 
which occurred about the same time, to some 
of which he now refers. During the peaceful 
and prosperous period of the Church result- 
ing, in part at least, from Saul's conversion, 
Peter — not as jwjie, nor even as bishop, but as the 
representative of the apostles, and sent out by 
apostolic authority — visits the churches which 
persecution had planted in various places, for 
the purpose of encouraging and instructing 
them. This journey was not so much a 
missionary tour as one of visitation among 
churches already established. In the course 
of his travels he came to Lydda, called in the 

Old Testament Lod (1 Chron. viii. 12, Ezra 

(153) 



154 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ii. 33; Neh. xi. 35), a town on the road to Je- 
rusalem some seven or eight miles from Joppa. 
Here he found a certain man named Eneas, 
who had been paralyzed for eight years. Noth- 
ing is known of this man except what is here 
stated, but he was most probably a disciple of 
Christ; and Peter, recognizing the simplicity 
and strength of his faith, proceeds to test it by 
giving him a command, which if obeyed will 
result in his cure. He does not claim to be 
even the instrumental cause of the cure, but 
gives all the honor to his Master, whom he 
thus proclaims to be the true Messiah. He 
commands the paralytic to perform an act 
which under other circumstances would have 
been impossible; but now, in the exercise of a 
faith sublime in its simplicity, he puts forth 
the effort to obey, and by so doing the act of 
faith is rewarded, and he is completely cured. 
This miracle attested unmistakably the apos- 
tle's divine commission, and naturally enough 
attracted the attention of the entire communi- 
ty, in consequence of which there was a great 
spiritual awakening and ingathering into the 



First-fruits from the Gentiles. 155 

Church. While Peter was thus engaged in 
the revival at Lydda, the Lord was preparing 
the way for his servant to perform another and 
still more notable miracle. In the neighbor- 
ing town of Joppa there lived a noble Chris- 
tian woman whose name had become a house- 
hold word throughout all that country, and 
who in the mysterious providence of God now 
sickened and died. The name of this woman 
was Tabitha, or Dorcas, meaning a " gazelle " — 
a favorite symbol in the East for beauty (Sol- 
omon's Song ii. 9-17, iv. 5, vii. 3) — a name 
especially appropriate in this case; for if Dor- 
cas was not beautiful in person she was at least 
so in character. She was one of those earnest 
Christians whose religion was not confined to 
her heart, but extended to her hands, and kept 
them busy in efforts to alleviate the sufferings 
of those around her — the imperfect tense, as 
used by the historian, denoting that it was her 
habitual practice to be thus engaged. The 
death of such a woman is ever looked upon as 
a public calamity; therefore, when the news 
of Tabitha's death spread abroad, many hearts 



156 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

and homes were filled with unfeigned sorrow. 
Kind friends gather around her bedside and 
tenderly perform the last sad services prepar- 
atory to her burial; and then, as one after 
another come to take a last look upon the 
beloved face, these sorrowing ones gather in 
little companies around the room, and in 
whispered accents engage in earnest conversa- 
tion. Some one has spoken of the miraculous 
cure of the paralyzed Eneas, and has suggest- 
ed that possibly Peter might even restore 
Dorcas to life. The suggestion at first seems 
almost impious, yet the more they think 
of it the more anxious they become to act 
upon it; and at last they determine to send 
for the eminent preacher, that he may at least 
come and visit them in their sorrow. No 
sooner have the messengers made known the 
object of their mission than Peter signifies his 
willingness to accompany them; and when they 
at length reach the home of the deceased 
Dorcas, numerous evidences of the high es- 
teem in which she was held are visible on 
every hand, as the weeping widows recount 



First-fruits from the Gentiles. 157 

her deeds of charity and exhibit the articles 
of clothing which she had made for them with 
her own hands. After speaking to the assem- 
bled crowd words of comfort and encourage- 
ment, the apostle requests them to leave the 
room, that he may be alone, Then, kneeling 
down by the side of the dead, he lifts his heart 
in earnest prayer to God, like Elijah (1 Kings 
brii. 20) and Elisha (2 Kings iv. 33) of olden 
times; and having received assurance that his 
prayer is answered, he turns to the corpse, and 
calling the deceased woman by name bids her 
arise, when she immediately opens her eyes 
like one awakening from peaceful slumbers, 
and sits up as an evidence of complete resto- 
ration not only to life, but to health. Know- 
ing the joy that would thrill the hearts of her 
sorrowing friends, he hastens to call them, 
that they may now mingle their tears of glad- 
ness, as they had previously mingled those of 
sorrow and bitter grief. A miracle so notable 
would naturally attract the attention of the 
people and become the theme of conversation 
throughout the surrounding country, so that 



158 Day-daicn of Christianity. 

wherever the apostle preached multitudes 
flocked to hear him; and a gracious revival 
was the result of the miracle at Joppa, as had 
previously been the case at Lydda, in conse- 
quence of which Peter prolonged his visit 
there " many clays." 

Joppa was an ancient seavport on the Medi- 
terranean coast, where were landed the mate- 
rials for building both the first and second 
temples (2 Chron. ii. 16, Ezra iii. 7), and 
where Jonah embarked when attempting to 
flee from the Lord (Jonah i. 3). During his 
visit to this town Peter made his home not 
with Dorcas, as we might naturally expect, but 
with " one Simon, a tanner." Among the Jews 
this occupation was held in dishonor on ac- 
count of the contact with the skins of dead 
animals, which rendered them ceremonially 
unclean-— so that Peter must have already laid 
aside some of his Jewish prejudices, and was 
destined while under this man's roof to receive 
a lesson that would relieve him of still more 
of them, for a new era now dawns upon the 
Church, Hitherto Jews and Jewish prose- 



First-fruits from the Gentiles. 159 

lytes alone had been admitted as members, 
but henceforth the doors are thrown wide 
open so as to receive Jew and Gentile alike; 
and Peter, the "apostle of the circumcision," 
is in the providence of God chosen to initiate 
this movement, as he had before done in the 
case of the Jews. During his sojourn at Jop- 
pa the way had been providentially prepared 
for the introduction of the gospel into the 
family of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, now 
resident at Oesarea; and so God again pre- 
cedes his gervant and prepares the way for 
him to preach the gospel at Cesarea as he 
had just done at Joppa, Cornelius was a 
common name among the Romans, but con- 
cerning the individual here mentioned noth- 
ing is known further than what is recorded in 
this conversion. He occupied an important of- 
fice in the Roman army, and was a man of con- 
spicuous piety, cheerfully obeying the divine 
will so far as he had any knowledge of it, His 
religion was of that practical character which 
is always well-pleasing to God, and not only 
restrained the evil impulses, of his own nature, 



160 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

but extended to his family and all under his 
authority, whom he held in check and taught 
the fear of the Lord. This devotion on the 
part of an untaught Gentile finds especial fa- 
vor in God's sight, and is rewarded by a fuller 
revelation of the divine will. In the midst of 
his devotions he is astonished by the presence 
of an angelic messenger, who assures him that 
his worship is accepted of God, and directs 
him to send to Joppa for Peter in order that 
he may receive fuller information in regard 
to his duties and his privileges. He was liv- 
ing up to the light he had, and so his desire 
to know more of the divine will is fully re- 
warded. 

God had thus prepared him for receiving 
the truth by awakening within him a desire to 
know it, and by directing him how he might 
learn it; and at the same time he had prepared 
Peter, by means of a vision, for preaching the 
gospel to the Gentiles. During his sojourn in 
the house of Simon he fell into a "trance," 
and while in this state received an object- 
lesson well calculated to correct his misappre- 



First-fruits from the Gentiles. 161 

hensions and remove his prejudices in regard 
to the Gentiles. By this vision he learned the 
great, important lesson that " God is no re- 
specter of persons," and that he estimates 
people by their character rather than by their 
nationality; but in order that the object of the 
vision might not be misunderstood, the Spirit 
of God apprises him of the advent of the 
messengers from Cornelius, and bids him go 
with them at once. Going down from the 
house-top where he had seen the vision, he 
finds the men standing at the gate, and learn- 
ing the object of their mission, he immediately 
makes preparations to accompany them. On 
the afternoon of the day he received the heav- 
enly message Cornelius started his servants to 
Joppa in search of Peter, and following the 
minute directions divinely given, they readily 
found him. Reaching Joppa on the second 
day, and remaining overnight, they started 
homeward on the third day accompanied by 
Peter, and arrived at the house of Cornelius 
on the fourth day, where they found not only 

the immediate family of the centurion, but 
11 



162 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

also his "kinsmen and near friends," assem- 
bled to hear the message of salvation from 
the lips of the expected preacher. Both Cor- 
nelius and Peter had received Supernatural 
instructions, and each had thus been divinely- 
prepared for his part in this interesting drama. 
After mutual explanations in regard to the 
visions they had seen, and the providential way 
in which they were brought face to face, Peter 
begins to unfold to his interested audience the 
wonderful story of God's redeeming love; and 
perhaps he never attempted to preach un- 
der more favorable and encouraging circum- 
stances. His audience felt that they were in 
the immediate presence of God for the purpose 
of learning his will, and they were not only 
willing but eager and anxious to hear the 
words of his messenger. He begins by re- 
nouncing his own long-cherished Jewish prej- 
udice in regard to the Gentiles, and declares 
that the doctrine of reconciliation through an 
appointed Saviour was intended for them as 
well as for the Jews. His auditors, though 
heathens, were somewhat familiar with the 



First-fruits, from the Gentiles. 163 

life-history of Jesus of Nazareth; hence he 
only briefly rehearses the prominent facts in 
that eventful life. He refers to his public 
consecration by the Holy Ghost, his power to 
work miracles, his constant efforts to bless hu- 
manity, his cruel death and glorious resurrec- 
tion, and to the great fact that the whole body 
of prophecy converges toward and unites in 
establishing this one central, fundamental 
truth — that " whosoever believeth in him shall 
receive remission of sins." This glorious 
news he and his companions were commis- 
sioned and commanded to preach to all the 
world — to Jew and Gentile alike. And when 
the welcome tidings fell upon the ears of his 
audience, joy was awakened in their hearts, and 
the Holy Ghost came upon them with unmis- 
takable power to the manifest astonishment of 
the Jews who had accompanied Peter from 
Joppa. The apostle had preached in Jerusa- 
lem to the thousands assembled there when 
the Holy Ghost first came upon the Church on 
the memorable day of Pentecost; and now, see- 
ing the same miraculous power given to the 



1C4 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

Gentiles, he can hesitate no longer, but com- 
manding the rite of baptism to be adminis- 
tered unto them, he receives them into the 
fellowship of the Christian Church. At the 
earnest solicitation of the new converts Peter 
doubtless tarries for a few days at Cesarea, 
that he may indoctrinate them more fully; 
and when he returns to Jerusalem he finds 
his Jewish brethren, who have already learned 
what he has done, standing ready not only to 
criticise but to condemn his conduct. In 
self- vindication he recounts in full the whole 
occurrence from its very beginning, and shows 
how God had unmistakably sanctioned the 
work by giving the Gentiles the Holy Spirit 
and the same miraculous power that he had 
granted to the Jews. By this statement he 
not only vindicated himself before the Jeru- 
salem Church, but brought joy. and gladness 
to their hearts because God was thus mani- 
festly extending the borders of his kingdom 
and the glory of his name. 

Truths to be Treasured. 
Christians are "saints " — those whom God 



First-fruits from the Gentiles. 105 

has " separated" from the world; they are in 
it but not of it, and therefore not to be con- 
formed to it. 

Nothing is accidental. God orders every 
circumstance in life. He brings helpless Ene- 
as and helpful Peter together. He furnishes 
both the agent and the object. 

True piety exalts the Saviour at the sacri- 
fice of self. 

The healed sinner is a living argument in 
favor of Christianity, and by his very pres- 
ence attracts others to the cross. 

A life "full of good works and alms-deeds" 
is but the natural exponent of true, vital 
piety. 

The human heart sighs for sympathy and 
solace in the dark hour of suffering and sor- 
row. 

It is better to embalm the name in the mem- 
ories of the poor by deeds of active charity 
than to engrave it on tablets of brass or mon- 
uments of marble. 

'Woman's work has been conspicuous in 
every age of the Church. 



16G Day-dawn of Christianity. 

The death of the active, useful Christian 
brings sorrow to many hearts. 

God answers the prayer of faith. 

God's wonderful works cannot be hid. 

Secret prayer brings us into communion 
with heaven. 

Earnest prayer and faithful service are "had 
in remembrance in the sight of God." 

The true worshiper receives the gospel mes- 
sage as from God. 

God now knows no national favoritism. 

Peace and reconciliation with God come 
through Jesus Christ. 

"He went about doing good " is a truthful 
epitome of our Lord's life, and is the highest 
encomium that can be pronounced upon any 
man. 

The disciples were afforded the most favor- 
able opportunities for knowing that their 
Master was raised from the dead. They are 
both competent and credible witnesses. 

Christ is Judge as well as Saviour. 

Christ is the central object of the Prophe- 
cies as well as of the Gospels. 



First-fruits from the Gentiles. 167 

The offer of salvation is bounded only by a 
broad, universal " whosoever." 

The Holy Spirit accompanies the preaching 
of the gospel, and makes it effective to the sal- 
vation of sinners. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE FRUITS OF PERSECUTION. 

THE persecution which originated at the 
death of Stephen became a fruitful source 
of interesting events in the history of the 
Church; and the historian has frequent oc- 
casion in the course of his record to go back 
to it as a sort of starting-point, or focal center, 
from which these events radiate. Contrary to 
the expectations of the enemies of the Church, 
this persecution served to build up and scat- 
ter it abroad in places hitherto unknown; for 
the fleeing disciples went in every direction, 
and wherever they went they scattered the 
seeds of truth and life. Philip w T ent to Sa- 
maria, and performed a great work there. 
Others "traveled as far as Phenicia," a nar- 
row tract of country on the Mediterranean 
north of Palestine, containing the famous 
cities of Tyre and Sidon. Others still went to 
Cyprus, a large island in the Mediterrane- 
an 



The Fruits of Persecution. 169 

an, and to Antioch, the capital of Syria, 
some three hundred miles north of Jerusalem. 
Some of these fugitive Christians were only 
proselytes to Judaism; and not sharing the 
narrow national prejudices of their Jewish 
brethren, they were more ready to believe that 
the gospel was designed for all men, and glad- 
ly began to publish the tidings of salvation to 
the Gentiles, and to proclaim that the Lord 
Jesus was none other than the long-promised 
Messiah, the Saviour of the ruined race. That 
their preaching was in accordance with the 
Divine will soon became manifest in the con- 
version of large numbers, who gladly re- 
nounced their pagan faith and practices to 
adopt the ordinances of Christianity. This is 
the first recorded ingathering of any consider- 
able extent from the Gentile world, for the 
conversion of Cornelius and his household was 
doubtless limited to a small number; but here 
so many were received that a strong Church 
was organized, in which the Gentile element 
largely predominated. The news of what was 
thus occurring in Antioch soon reached the 



170 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ears of the Church in Jerusalem, producing 
upon different hearts widely differing impres- 
sions. Some were filled with joy and gladness 
that God was thus extending the borders of 
his kingdom and the blessings of his Church, 
but there were others in whose minds the nar- 
row Jewish prejudice asserted its power over 
the benign instincts and impulses of Chris- 
tianity; and so they were overwhelmed with 
misgivings and grave apprehensions. Doubt- 
less the matter was earnestly discussed from 
various stand-points by the Jerusalem Church, 
and in order that they may the better get at 
the real facts in the case, they determine to 
send oat representatives to inspect the work. 
For this purpose they select Barnabas, a man 
of great prudence and conspicuous piety. As 
these Jewish Christians severely criticised 
Peter's course in the case of Cornelius, it may 
be that the design in sending Barnabas was to 
forbid the receiving of Gentiles into the 
Church; or, if the preaching at Antioch was 
subsequent to the conversion of Cornelius, 
having learned an important lesson from that 



The Fruits of Persecution. 171 

event, their object was perhaps the very re- 
verse — viz., to foster and encourage the good 
work thus begun among the Gentiles. Favor- 
ing this view is the fact that they chose for 
this mission Barnabas, a Grecian, a native 
of Cyprus, and most probably a personal 
friend of some of the founders of the Church 
at Antioch; at any rate, he was far less prej- 
udiced than a native Jew would have been. 
And if to this we add the other fact that upon 
his arrival he encouraged the work — w T hich he 
w 7 ould hardly have presumed to do on his own 
responsibility, if instructed otherwise by the 
apostles and Church at Jerusalem — it becomes 
pretty certain that the preaching at Antioch 
was subsequent to the conversion of Cornelius. 
Yet it is probable that the two events were 
almost contemporaneous, thus strengthening 
each other, and emphasizing the great les- 
son now brought before the Church. Barna- 
bas was a truly pious man, large-hearted and 
liberal-minded, "full of the Holy Ghost and 
of faith," being qualified not only to rejoice 
over, but to participate in, the revival thus be- 



172 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

gun among the Gentiles. No sooner had he 
seen the evidences of the Spirit's presence 
and power than the last lingering prejudice 
that he may have entertained was swallowed 
up in the new joy that filled his heart, and he 
at once threw his whole soul into the work, 
exhorting the new converts that with sincerity 
and constancy they should continue the Chris- 
tian life, and never one word does he say about 
their adopting the rites and ceremonies of the 
Jews in order to become members of the 
Church. With such earnestness did this man 
of God preach that the revival was invested 
with new interest, and in consequence " much 
people were added unto the Lord," in addition 
to those received into the Church before his 
coming. Finding the work thus growing on 
his hands, and seeing that the fields of Antioch 
were "white unto the harvest," he begins to 
look around for some one to share with him 
the pleasant task of " gathering in the 
sheaves;" and almost immediately his mind 
turns to his boyhood friend and school-mate, 
whom he remembers is even now in the neisrh- 



The Fruits of Persecution. 173 

boring city of Tarsus. Thither Paul had gone 
some weeks before for the double purpose of 
escaping persecution in Jerusalem, and of vis- 
iting his old home and former friends. While 
here he was doubtless busy in seeking the con- 
version of his kindred and friends, but with 
what success we have no means of knowing. 
Remembering that Paul had been divinely 
designated as the apostle to the Gentiles, Bar- 
nabas hurries off in search of him, and soon 
returns with him to Antioch, for it did not re- 
quire much persuasion to induce the converted 
persecutor to engage in revival work. Here 
the two friends labored together as mutual 
helps and advisers, and under their united 
ministry the Church grew rapidly, both in 
numbers and influence. In this capacity they 
remained for a full year, giving regular and 
systematic instructions in the great doctrines 
of Christianity to those under their charge. 
In consequence of this great ingathering of 
Gentiles the Church could no longer be re- 
garded as merely a Jewish sect, as probably 
had been the case previous to this time; and 



174 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

so their heathen neighbors invented a new 
name for them, calling them " Christians," or 
disciples of Christ — thus, intentionally or oth- 
erwise, embodying in the name the very es- 
sence of their creed. Antioch was celebrated 
for the invention of nicknames, and the name 
was doubtless given in derision. It was not 
assumed by the Church, as is evident from the 
fact that it occurs in but two other places in 
the New Testament (Acts xxvi. 28, 1 Pet. iv. 
16), and then manifestly as a term of reproach. 
Nor did it originate with the Jews, who called 
the disciples " Nazarenes," and would not for 
a moment admit that the term " Christ " should 
be applied to the Master, and so much less 
would they be willing to apply it to his follow- 
ers. The form of the name indicates a Latin 
origin, and so it doubtless originated with the 
Romans, who applied it in derision to the 
members of the Church at Antioch because 
they worshiped the crucified Christ. During 
the year that Paul and Barnabas acted as co- 
pastors of the Antioch Church, messengers 
doubtless frequently came from their brethren 



The Fruits of Persecution. 175 

at Jerusalem. Among others, there came a 
company of "prophets," or religious teachers, 
and in the number was one named Agabus, 
who years afterward meets Paul at Cesarea 
and foretells his apprehension at Jerusalem 
and imprisonment by the Gentiles. (Acts. xxi. 
10, 11.) This man foretells a terrible famine 
that occurred shortly afterward. Well know- 
ing that such a visitation of providence would 
bring great suffering to their poor brethren in 
Judea, and feeling likewise a sense of filial 
obligation to the mother Church, the Chris- 
tians at Antioch, in the exercise of a noble 
generosity, voluntarily undertook to raise a 
fund to forestall such suffering, and to express 
their feelings of love and sympathy for their 
Jewish brethren. The amount of each man's 
contribution is determined by himself, but 
they all willingly unite in the effort, " every man 
according to his ability" giving something — 
thus furnishing an example in the manage- 
ment of Church finances that is well worthy 
of general imitation. Having secured the de- 
sired amount, the Church select Paul and 



176 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

Barnabas as their representatives, and com- 
mit the money into their care as a sacred trust 
to be turned over to the deacons of the Jeru- 
salem Church. They may have been sent upon 
this especial mission, or the money may have 
been simply intrusted to them as they were 
going up to attend the meeting of some eccle- 
siastical court. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

True Christians carry their religion wher- 
ever they go. 

The gospel is for the Gentile as well as for 
the Jew. 

When the "hand of the Lord" is with his 
ministering servants, a "great multitude be- 
lieve and turn unto the Lord." 

When tidings of salvation reach the ears of 
Christians, sympathy is awakened, and, when 
needed, succor extended. 

When the true Christian " sees the grace of 
God " manifested in the salvation of sinners, 
he is "glad." 

The Christian must not only profess faith, but 
"cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart." 



The Fruits of Persecution. 177 

Through the influence of " a good man full 
of the Holy Ghost and of faith," u much peo- 
ple are added unto the Lord." 

To guide and instruct Christians is as im- 
portant as to convert sinners. 

The name given to believers in derision has 
become honorable. 

" Every man according to his ability," is the 
true measure and guide of the Church's liber- 
ality. 

The prosperous should ever help their 
needy brethren. 

The financial interests of the primitive 

Church were intrusted to its wisest and best 

men. 
12 



CHAPTER XV. 

PERSECUTION RENEWED. 

THE history of the Church from the begin- 
ning is a strange intermingling of sun- 
shine and shadow. Everywhere the sweet 
songs of revival are sadly blended with the 
wails of suffering and sorrow, and ever and 
anon the historian turns from the bright 
scenes of prosperity to record the dark deeds 
of persecution. Only a few short months were 
the heralds of the gospel allowed to proclaim ' 
in peace the glad tidings of salvation, for 
about the time Paul and Barnabas began 
their journey to Jerusalem " Herod the king 
stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the 
Church." This Herod was a grandson of 
Herod the Great, an Idumean by birth, a Ro- 
man by education, and a Jew from policy. 
How many of the apostles he arrested and 
how they were treated we know not, except 

that "he killed James the brother of John 

(178) 



Persecution Renewed. 179 

with the sword " — L e., by decapitation, a mode 
of punishment regarded as especially dis- 
graceful by the Jews. This James was one of 
the "sons of Zebedee," and was the first of 
the apostles to suffer martyrdom, and the only 
one whose death is recorded in the New Tes- 
tament; whereas his brother John was the last 
to die, and the only one, according to tradition, 
who died a natural death. But although he 
did not die a martyr's death, he lived a mar- 
tyr's life. The desire to be popular was Her- 
od's ruling passion, as given by Josephus, and 
" because he saw it pleased the Jews he pro- 
ceeded further to take Peter also." Peter's 
bold, impetuous nature made him conspicuous, 
and his earnest devotion to his Master's cause 
rendered him especially obnoxious to the 
Jews, who were consequently greatly rejoiced 
at the prospect of his death. The arrest was 
made about the time for the Passover, but ac- 
cording to Jewish law executions were not 
allowed during their festivals; and so the 
prisoner is placed in the custody of a strong 
Boman guard, who receive rigid orders to keep 



180 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

him securely. Accordingly, they place him in 
the inner prison, and, "to make assurance 
doubly sure," chain him by the arms to a sol- 
dier on each side. But while Peter is thus 
secured by his guards, his fellow- Christians, 
anxious for the rescue of their friend and 
leader, are earnestly engaged in prayer for his 
release, perhaps — or at any rate that he may 
have grace unfalteringly to seal his testimony 
with his blood. At first Heaven seems indif- 
ferent to their prayers, and no answer is given 
up to almost the last moment — in order, per- 
haps, that their earnestness and faith may be 
thoroughly tested. On the night before the 
execution the condemned prisoner lies sleep- 
ing as peacefully as a little child, although 
on each side he is chained to a Bom an guard 
and death stands staring him in the face, when 
suddenly an angel appears in the prison and 
dispels the darkness with the luster of his 
presence. Awaking Peter, he commands him 
to arise, and in doing so his chains fall from 
his hands of their own accord. Then he is 
directed to make preparations for leaving the 



Persecution Renewed. 181 

prison, and to follow his heavenly guide. 
Obeying, he passes out safely through doors 
which are opened by some secret power, and 
soon finds himself alone in the deserted streets 
of Jerusalem; for as soon as the angel has ac- 
complished his appointed mission, he with- 
draws. Recovering somewhat from his aston- 
ishment, Peter is now convinced that what he 
had at first taken for a vision is a grand reali- 
ty; and after considering the best course to 
pursue, he determines to go at once to the 
house of a friend at that time residing in Je- 
rusalem. This friend was " Mary the mother 
of John, whose surname was Mark." He it 
was who wrote the second Gospel and accom- 
panied Paul and Barnabas on their first mis- 
sionary tour. His name is here mentioned in 
connection with his mother to distinguish her 
from the other Marys of the New Testament. 
She was the sister of Barnabas (Col. iv. 10), 
and seems to have shared his spirit of liberal- 
ity and consecration, and must have been a 
woman of great faith and courage to have kept 
her house open as a place of public worship 



182 Daij-dawn of Christianity. 

at such a time, thus rendering herself liable to 
arrest at any moment. The prayer-meeting 
on Peter's behalf, it may be, was changed from 
place to place to avoid detection by their ene- 
mies; but it so happens in the providence of 
God that the apostle now turns his footsteps 
toward the very house in which the Church is 
assembled, and knocks for admission at the 
very moment, perhaps, when prayer is being 
offered for his release. "Well knowing that 
the next day has been appointed for his exe- 
cution, his friends determine to spend the en- 
tire night in prayer in his behalf; and his re- 
lease doubtless occurred during " morning 
w r atch," just before day. It is not probable 
that Peter knew that the Church had met at 
Mary's house, but being on intimate terms with 
the family, he considered it the best place for 
him to seek temporary shelter. It was through 
his instrumentality that Mark, the son of the 
hostess, was converted (1 Pet. v. 13), and at his 
dictation perhaps that he afterward wrote the 
Gospel ; so that he was doubtless a frequent vis- 
itor at the house. When, therefore, he knocked 



Persecution Renewed. 183 

at the gate for admission, Rhoda, the portress, 
instantly recognized his well-known voice; but 
overcome with joy, she forgot to open the gate, 
and hurried into the house to publish the wel- 
come tidings that their prayers are answered, 
and as evidence of it Peter himself stands at 
the gate. Perhaps they had only asked sus- 
taining grace for Peter, and had never antici- 
pated his rescue, so that the news of his re- 
lease seemed too good to be true; or, their 
skepticism may be only another sad illustra- 
tion of the want of faith on the part of those 
who profess to trust in God. Here, perhaps, 
they had been praying for this very thing, and 
yet when the prayer is answered they are as- 
tonished. Such inconsistency on the part of 
God's people has often blotted the bright 
pages of the Church's history. At all events, 
whatever may have been the object of their 
prayers, they were amazed to hear of Peter's 
release, and were much more ready to believe 
that little Rhoda was crazy, or had been fright- 
ened by some ghost-like appearance, than that 
her tidings were true. But her constant affir- 



184 Day-daivn of Christianity. 

mations that she spoke the truth, emphasized 
by Peter's continued knockings at the gate, 
finally induced some of the company to go 
and open it; and when they did so, they found 
standing before it none other than the apostle 
himself. His presence no doubt created quite 
a confusion, awakening inquiries, suggesting 
congratulations, and giving rise to expressions 
of joy and thanksgiving. To suppress the tu- 
mult " he, beckoning unto them with the hand 
to hold their peace, declared unto them how 
the Lord had brought him out of the prison." 
Having given them a detailed account of his 
release, he commands them to report it to the 
entire Church, and especially to James, who 
was probably at that time their acknowledged 
pastor. He was the "son of Alpheus," sur- 
named "the Less" to distinguish him from 
"James the son of Zebedee." By some he is 
regarded as our Lord's brother (Gal. i. 19), 
and he certainly occupied a very prominent 
place in the apostolic Church. (Acts xv. 13, 
xxi. 18, Gal. ii. 9-12.) To escape the rage of 
Herod, Peter found it necessary to leave Jeru- 



Persecution Renewed. 185 

salem and live in retirement; but where we 
know not, for after this his name fades from 
the pages of history. Once after this, in the 
Acts xv. 7-11, and a few times in the Epistles 
(Gal. ii. 11-14, 1 Pet. v. 13), he is mentioned; 
but where he labored, and with what measure 
of success, is reserved for our contemplation at 
that day when the glorious light of eternity 
shall flash upon the records of time and reveal 
the things now hidden from oar view. That 
he was earnest and faithful in his Master's 
service we may well be assured. When the 
morning light awakened the busy din of ac- 
tivity in the Jewish metropolis it brought con- 
sternation to the hearts of the Roman guards, 
for well did they know that in accordance with 
the cruel edicts of the inexorable law of the 
times their lives must pay the forfeit of their 
prisoner's escape. They had faithfully dis- 
charged their duty, and that Peter could not 
be found was no fault of theirs; but the bitter 
disappointment of the Jews must be in some 
measure appeased, and the bloody Herod is- 
sues the mandate for their destruction. Hav- 



186 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ing thus added one more crime to his long, 
dark record of iniquity, he leaves Jerusalem 
and goes down to his military head-quarters at 
Cesarea, to preside at the public games in 
honor of the Emperor Claudius. While here, 
" arrayed in his royal apparel," and surround- 
ed by a company of pretended friends, who 
seek to secure his favor by means of their ful- 
some flatteries, he is suddenly smitten by a vis- 
itation of Divine Providence and dies in agony 
of a most loathsome and painful disease. As if 
in purposed contrast with this revolting scene, 
the historian records the increased prosperity 
of the cause which Herod had vainly sought 
to destroy; for again persecution served only to 
scatter the seeds of truth, and in consequence 
"the word of God grew and multiplied." 
Truths to be Treasured. 

The Church has had enemies in every age 
of its history. 

A desire for popularity causes men to do 
many evil things. 

God often frustrates the intentions of the 
wicked. 



Persecution Renewed. 187 

Earnest prayer on the part of the Church 
secures blessings. 

God delays the answer to prayer to test the 
sincerity and faith of his people. 

A conscience at peace with God enables men 
to sleep in times of greatest trial. 

"The angel of the Lord encampeth round 
about them that fear him." 

True piety recognizes God as the author of 
every blessing. 

The liberated soul instinctively seeks the 
communion of saints. 

True joy is unselfish. 

Christians are often astonished at the an- 
swer to their prayers. 

God often gives much greater blessings than 
we expect or even desire. 

The freed soul delights to tell others how it 
was set at liberty. 

Persecution helps rather than hinders Chris- 
tianity. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

BEGINNING OF FOREIGN MISSIONS. 

WE now come to another important epoch 
in the history of the apostolic Church. 
Hitherto that history has for the most part 
clustered around Peter, but henceforth Paul 
becomes the central figure. Hitherto the his- 
torian has recorded the growth of the Church 
among the Jews, but henceforth he confines 
his attention to its progress among the Gen- 
tiles. Hitherto he has recorded the work of 
" Home Missions; " now he begins the history 
of "Foreign Missions." The starting-point 
for the evangelization of the Jews was Jerusa- 
lem; for the Gentiles it is Antioch, Paul and 
Barnabas having accomplished their mission 
at Jerusalem, about the time of Peter's im- 
prisonment, returned to Antioch, carrying 
with them as a companion and fellow-labor- 
er, "John, whose surname was Mark." The 

Church had grown under their united efforts 

(188) 



Beginning of Foreign Missions. 189 

both in numbers and influence until it became 
necessary to ha've numerous subordinate teach- 
ers, and among them was one named "Ma- 
naen," a foster-brother of Herod Antipas. How 
striking the contrast between the two! The 
one is branded with immortal infamy by the 
murder of "John the Baptist," while the other 
is here represented as an earnest preacher of 
the gospel; and yet they were reared under 
the very same influences and surroundings. 
Paul and Barnabas, as faithful co-pastors 
with these assistants, were earnestly engaged 
in " ministering to the Lord " and spreading 
abroad a knowledge of the truth; and as their 
efforts among the Gentiles were crowned with 
success, the idea of a universal Church began 
to dawn upon their minds, while they recalled 
the command of the Master: "Go ye into all 
the world, and preach the gospel to every 
creature." But just how to obey this com- 
mand they did not know, and for the purpose 
of seeking divine guidance as to their duty in 
reference to the heathen, world, they no doubt 
appointed a special occasion at which they 



190 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

prayed and " fasted; " this last act never being 
performed, perhaps, except on special occa- 
sions and for special purposes. (Acts x. 30, 
xiv. 23.) While they were thus engaged in 
seeking to know the Lord's will, "the Holy 
Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul 
for the work whereunto I have called them." 
These men were no longer to be pastors, but 
were to become missionaries. This was the 
work to which they had already been called; 
Paul at his conversion (Acts ix. 15, xxii. 21), 
and Barnabas by special providence (Acts xi. 
23), and now in some supernatural way God 
again indicates his will that they shall leave 
the Church that has been established and go on 
to "the regions beyond." Recognizing the 
divine call, the apostles prepare to obey it, and 
the Church to ratify it; and impressed with 
the solemn importance of the act that will thus 
set these men apart to this specific work, the 
congregation again observe a season of fasting 
and prayer, and then proceed, by laying their 
hands on the heads of the candidates, to ordain 
them as foreign missionaries. This scene was 



Beginning of Foreign Missions. 191 

doubtless one of special interest to the Church 
at the time it occurred, and to-day, as the child 
of God looks back over the pages of the past, 
he finds it still invested with peculiar charms 
as the initial step in the great work of evan- 
gelizing the nations. No sooner do Paul and 
Barnabas learn the will of their King than 
they prepare to obey it; and severing all the 
tender ties binding them to home and friends, 
they set out under the guidance of the Holy 
Ghost on their first missionary tour, taking 
with them as a companion and assistant John 
Mark, who was a nephew of Barnabas. Sail- 
ing down the river Orontes, on which Antioch 
was situated, they came first to the city of 
Seleucia, near the mouth of the river. But 
they seem only to have touched at this point 
and then hurried on to Cyprus, a neighboring 
island some sixty or seventy miles from the 
coast. It was one hundred and forty rqiles 
long by fifty wide, and was celebrated for its 
great beauty and fertility. It was the home of 
Barnabas (Acts iv. 36), and perhaps for that 
very reason was selected &s their first mission* 



192 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

field. The chief city of the island on the 
eastern side was called Salamis; and having 
many Jewish inhabitants, it formed an invit- 
ing field for the missionaries. Into the syna- 
gogues of their countrymen these earnest serv- 
ants of God entered and preached the gospel, 
but apparently without success, for they soon 
hurried on to Paphos, the chief city at the 
other end of the island, one hundred miles 
from Salamis. It was the seat of government, 
and residence of the proconsul. Here they 
came in contact with a celebrated magician, 
one of a class of impostors at that time quite 
numerous. As to character he was a "false 
prophet," as to nationality "a Jew," and 
hence the very basest of impostors, prostitut- 
ing as he did one of the highest and holiest 
offices of his nation for his own selfish inter- 
ests, He was known as Bar-jesus, the Ely- 
mas, or "wise man"— for so the Greek term 
signifies—and had succeeded in ingratiat- 
ing himself w T ith the governor of the island. 
Being himself a man of intelligence and re- 
flection, and hearing something of the new 



Beginning of Foreign Missions. 193 

doctrine preached by Paul and Barnabas, his 
curiosity is excited, and he calls for the preach- 
ers that he may learn from their own lips what 
they believe and teach. Gladly, no doubt, the 
missionaries obey the summons; but as they 
undertake to unfold the plan of salvation to 
the interested governor, the "sorcerer" seeks 
to counteract the impression made by their 
words, well knowing that if Paulus is con- 
verted to Christianity he can no longer be in- 
fluenced by his magic arts. Incensed by such 
conduct, Paul administers to him a severe re- 
buke, and predicts a sudden judgment of God 
upon him as a punishment for his sin; and 
scarcely have the words fallen from the apos- 
tle's lips before the guilty man is stricken 
blind. In his record Luke has given incident- 
ally another interesting proof of his medical 
knowledge by distinguishing the several steps 
leading to total blindness; and that the man 
was thus entirely blind is evident from his 
conduct in " seeking some one to lead him." 
This stands out conspicuously as Paul's first 

miracle, the proof of his apostleship (2 Cor. 
13 



194 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

xii. 12); and as a constant souvenir of the oc- 
casion, his name is changed, like that of Abra- 
ham (Gen. xvii. 5), and Jacob (Gen. xxxii. 28), 
and Peter (John i. 42). Why his Hebrew 
name should henceforth be dropped and his 
Roman name substituted, cannot be positively 
determined, but most probably because this 
miracle marks his public manifestation as the 
apostle to the Gentiles; and he here emerges 
from the subordinate position hitherto held, 
and ever afterward becomes the leading figure 
in foreign missions — perhaps in accordance 
with the revealed but unrecorded will of God. 
The signal judgment of God which thus sud- 
denly fell upon the impious magician produced 
a profound impression upon all who witnessed 
it, resulting in the conversion of the govern- 
or, and doubtless also many of his subjects. 
Having accomplished their mission in Paphos, 
the missionaries leave the island of Cyprus 
and go to Perga in Pamphylia, a province of 
Asia Minor, lying along the southern coast. 
Of this province Perga, situated on the river 
Oestrus, was the chief city, and was celebrated 



Beginning of Foreign Missions. 195 

for the worship of Diana. Here an apparent- 
ly insignificant event occurred, which was des- 
tined afterward, however, to separate the two 
life-long friends, and thus greatly widen the 
sphere of missionary effort. Afraid of the 
perils about to be encountered, or else weary 
of the hardships of missionary life, and desir- 
ous of home comforts, "John, departing from 
them, returned to Jerusalem," where his 
mother resided. (Acts xii. 12.) But whatever 
his reason for leaving them may have been, it 
was not satisfactory to Paul (Acts xi. 38), who, 
on account of his conduct here, refused to take 
him on a second tour. 

"Dwellers in Pamphylia" (Acts ii. 10) had 
witnessed and received the Pentecostal out- 
pouring of the Holy Ghost, and hence it is 
not improbable that the missionaries found 
churches already established, which it was 
only necessary to encourage; and so, appar- 
ently without any delay in Pamphylia, they 
pass on to real missionary work, and come to 
Antioch in Pisidia, so called to distinguish 
it from its namesake in Syria, both of which 



196 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

were built by Seleucus Nicator, and named in 
honor of his father, Antiochus. This Antioch 
was built on a hill between two plains, one of 
which was in Pamphylia, and the other in 
Pisidia, which borders on the north of Pam- 
phylia. It was a long distance and almost 
due north from Perga. The whole region was 
wild and mountainous, and the road is to this 
day, it is said, infested by robbers; so that it 
is probably to this journey that Paul refers in 
2 Cor. xi. 26. Having reached the city, the 
missionaries, in accordance with their uniform 
custom, repair to the synagogue, as affording 
the best opportunity for reaching their delud- 
ed countrymen. The synagogue w r as governed 
by a bench of " eiders." Upon entering the 
synagogue in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas took 
seats in the congregation as ordinary worship- 
ers, but there was something in their dress or 
manner that led the pastor and elders to be- 
lieve that they w T ere rabbis— or, in the language 
of our day, ordained ministers — and they sent 
them an invitation to come forward and ad- 
dress the people. Gladly they availed them- 



Beginning of Foreign Missions. 197 

selves of this opportunity to proclaim the 
tidings of salvation; and contrary to Jewish 
custom and the example of Christ (Matt. v. 1, 
Luke iv. 20), but in accordance with what 
seems to have been the uniform custom of the 
apostles (Acts i. 15, xi. 28, xv. 7), Paul imme- 
diately stands up, and " beckoning w T ith his 
hand" to hush the murmur of curiosity that 
doubtless ran through the audience at the ap- 
pearance of the strange speaker, he proceeds 
to preach a sermon which is of peculiar inter- 
est to the Church of the present day, because 
it is the first one of this great apostle that we 
find recorded. After a suitable introduction, 
the preacher briefly rehearses the history of 
Israel from its very beginning as a nation, and 
after referring to the numerous prophecies in 
regard to the Messiah, he proceeds to show 
how they were all fulfilled in the life and death 
of Jesus of Nazareth; so that he and his com- 
panion are now sent forth to proclaim the glad 
tidings of salvation to every one who will ac- 
cept of it through the merits and mediation of 
the crucified and risen Redeemer. The apos- 



198 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

tie's sermon produced a profound impression 
upon the minds of the people; for when the 
congregation were dismissed many of them 
gathered around the preachers, some from idle 
curiosity to learn further of the new doctrine, 
and others doubtless from a sincere desire to 
know more of that religion whose life-giving 
influence they had already begun to feel. 
Prominent among these eager listeners were 
numerous Gentiles, who earnestly besought 
the missionaries to remain through the week 
and explain to them the precious privileges of 
the gospel in which they now learn for the 
first time that they may share. After exhort- 
ing the converts to continue their search after 
truth and their desire to lead a Christian life, 
Paul and Barnabas withdraw from the crowd, 
but soon renew their labors among the people 
and continue them throughout the week. The 
presence of the strange preachers and the re- 
port of the new doctrine they proclaimed 
greatly excited the curiosity of the populace, 
and on " the next Sabbath-day came almost the 
whole city together to hear the word of God." 



Beg inning of Foreign Missions. 199 

This doubtless filled the hearts of the apostles 
with joy, but it also filled the Jews with " en- 
vy " and indignation. It was perhaps the first 
time that they had ever seen the uncircum- 
cised Gentiles crowding into their synagogues; 
and now learning that these barbarians were 
to be admitted to the same privileges as them- 
selves, they are filled with anger, and attempt 
to " contradict the things which were spoken by 
Paul." They doubtless first tried argument, 
but finding that they could not meet the stern 
logic of the apostle, they resorted to " blasphe- 
my" and reproach, reviling the teacher as a 
heretic, and the Messiah he proclaimed as an 
impostor. But instead of being deterred by 
this opposition, "Paul and Barnabas waxed 
bold; " and finding the Jews hardened against 
the influences of the gospel, they abruptly 
state their purpose and commission to preach 
to the Gentiles. This they do not from any 
personal pique, or even preference, but from a 
solemn and sublime sense of duty laid upon 
them by divine command (Isa. xlii. 6, xlix. 6; 
Acts ix. 15, xi. 16-18). The declaration that 



200 -Da i/-dawn of Christianity. 

salvation had been provided for them, and that 
the fact had been long ago recorded in the 
Jewish Scriptures, was hailed with delight by 
the Gentiles, and resulted in the conversion of 
many of them. 

Not content with simply enjoying the gospel 
themselves, these Gentile converts gladly co- 
operate with the apostles in making it known 
to others; and by their combined efforts "the 
word of the Lord was published throughout all 
that region," greatly to the disappointment 
and vexation of the Jews, who, seeing no other 
way to counteract the influence of the apostles, 
raise a storm of persecution against them. 
With this object in view they enlist the sym- 
pathies of certain Jewish proselytes of high 
social standing. They were most probably the 
wives of the "chief men of the city," and be- 
ing proselytes, they were especially zealous 
for their newly adopted faith. Thus the ever- 
potent influence of woman was turned against 
the gospel, and through it the city officials, by 
harsh and perhaps cruel measures, drove away 
the preachers, who having received such treat- 



Beginning of Foreign Missions. 201 

ment, in obedience to their Master's command 
(Matt. x. 14) " shook off the dust of their feet 
against them," and departed for other fields of 
labor. But notwithstanding the persecution 
bereft them of their friends and spiritual 
guides, the converts at Antioch were "filled 
with joy," because they were also "filled with 
the Holy Ghost," who constantly applied to 
them the rich consolations of the gospel. 
Truths to be Treasured. 

From the first Church established among 
the heathen were sent out the first missiona- 
ries to convert the heathen. 

Though nurtured in the bosom of the same 
family, and brought up under the same influ- 
ences, yet in after-life many a Manaen and 
many a Herod have been widely separated; 
the one becoming a preacher, the other a per- 
secutor of the gospel. 

The Holy Ghost calls men to a specific work. 

The missionary work requires the best men 
of the Church. 

The Holy Ghost no doubt often calls settled 
pastors to become foreign missionaries. 



202 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

It is the Church's privilege and duty to rat- 
ify a call given by the Holy Ghost. 

It is the duty of the Church to send out for- 
eign missionaries. 

God's ministering servants are "sent forth" 
by the authority and under the guidance of 
the Holy Ghost. 

The true minister of the gospel gladly avails 
himself of the opportunity to "preach the 
word of God." 

Wherever the minister of the gospel goes 
he finds enemies of the truth. 

False teachers seek to counteract the influ- 
ence of the gospel. 

The soul of man is a prize for which the pow- 
ers of light and darkness earnestly contend. 

Sinners will assuredly be punished. 

Notwithstanding opposition, the gospel will 
certainly triumph. 

Since the days when the " Israelites sighed 
for the flesh-pots of Egypt," men have grown 
weary in the service of God. 

The true Christian perseveres in his work 
in spite of difficulties. 



Beginning of Foreign Missions. 203 

The true Christian observes the Sabbath 
and attends the sanctuary whether at home or 
abroad. 

The reading of God's word is an all-impor- 
tant part of religious worship. 

The true Christian is ever ready to testify 
for his Master. 

It is not enough merely to begin a religious 
life; men must "continue in the grace of God." 

If the injunction, " Let him that heareth say, 
Come," were more generally obeyed, the Lord's 
sanctuary would be more largely attended. 

Bigots are ever envious of all those who do 
not pronounce their denominational " shibbo- 
leth." 

Opposition, instead of deterring, serves 
rather to develop true Christian courage. 

God's purposes must be accomplished. 

Those who reject the gospel will be rejected 
of God. 

Many by their conduct "judge themselves 
unworthy of everlasting life." 

God turns away from men only after they 
have turned away from him. 



204 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

The true disciple endeavors to obey all God's 
commands. 

The gospel is world-wide in its design and 
in its life-giving power. 

Women have ever exerted a powerful influ- 
ence both for and against Christianity. 

The faithful follower of Christ may expect 
opposition. 

Blind bigots often drive away from them- 
selves life's best blessings. 

The presence of the Holy Ghost in the heart 
is attested by joy and gladness. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

FIRST MISSIONARY TOUR COMPLETED. 

DRIVEN from Antioch by persecution, 
Paul and Barnabas came to Iconium, some 
fifty or sixty miles distant, and as usual re- 
paired to the synagogue because it afforded 
the best opportunity for reaching the people. 
Here another opportunity was given them to 
address the audience, and they gladly availed 
themselves of it. Doubtless the work they 
had done in Antioch had become known to the 
people, who were consequently eager to hear 
the strange preachers. Speaking under the 
guidance and influence of the Holy Ghost, 
their logic was resistless, and many believed 
the gospel. But here again they found two 
classes — believers and blasphemers — some 
who received the truth, and others who reject- 
ed it. At Antioch the Gentiles had gladly 
embraced the privileges of the gospel, but 

here their minds were poisoned by their Jew- 

(205) 



206 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

ish neighbors, and they conspired against the 
apostles. But notwithstanding the opposition, 
these faithful preachers continued their labors, 
strengthening the Church by unfolding the 
truth to them more fully, and doubtless gain- 
ing many new converts, while the Lord en- 
couraged his servants by blessing their efforts 
and granting them miraculous power in attes- 
tation of their divine commission. But their 
growing popularity only intensified the ha- 
tred of the Jews, who renewed the persecution 
with still greater violence; and securing the co- 
operation of the Gentiles, these alien and oth- 
erwise hostile parties unite in a common effort 
to overthrow Christianity. They determine to 
put the offending preachers to death, and with 
this object in view seek a favorable opportu- 
nity for carrying out their purpose. But 
the apostles providentially escape, and flee- 
ing in obedience to their Master's command 
(Matt. x. 23) they come to Lystra, a city some 
thirty or forty miles distant from Iconium. 
Here, and in the surrounding country, they 
continue to preach the gospel for some time. 



First Missionary Tour Completed. 207 

During one of their public services there sat 
in the audience a man who had been a cripple 
from his birth, and who was therefore regard- 
ed by himself and his friends as incurable. 
Something about the poor cripple's manner 
attracted the attention of Paul, and perceiving 
that he had faith in Christ, he commanded him, 
suddenly and in a loud voice, to stand up; and 
to the amazement of the audience he not only 
stood up, but " leaped and walked," thus giv- 
ing positive proof that he was cured. No soon- 
er did the people recover somewhat from their 
astonishment than they raised their voices 
in one clamorous chorus, that " the gods have 
made their appearance in the likeness of men." 
Among the ancients these visits were supposed 
to occur, and Ovid records such a visit to Ly- 
caon, in whose honor this vast country was 
named, as well as a similar visit to the adja- 
cent province of Phrygia, made by Jupiter and 
Mercury, the very gods for whom Barnabas 
and Paul were mistaken. Familiar with these 
legends, and amazed at the miracle, the con- 
duct of these heathen people is not surprising. 



208 Day-dawn of Cltristianity. 

Jupiter was the Roman name for the chief of 
all the gods, while Mercury was Jupiter's mes- 
senger and the god of eloquence. According- 
ly, the people mistake Paul, the "chief speak- 
er," for Mercury; and Barnabas, who was 
probably the elder of the two, for Jupiter; and 
believing that their gods are really present, 
the excited heathen hasten to do them homage. 
After the miracle the apostles most probably 
withdraw from the crowd and retire to their 
lodging-place for rest and refreshment, not 
having understood the confused clamors of 
the multitude, whose conversation was carried 
on in the provincial or local dialect. But as 
soon as they disappear the excited people make 
hurried preparations to do them honor. Pro- 
caring "oxen" for sacrifice and "garlands" 
for ornaments, they hurry through the city, 
led by the priest of Jupiter; and having 
reached the house to which the weary preach- 
ers had retired, they attempt to worship them. 
As soon as Paul and Barnabas comprehend 
the situation they are horror-stricken, and 
seek to divert the excited populace from their 



First Missionary Tour Completed. 209 

purpose by explaining that they are only men 
like their fellows, but commissioned by the 
true God to unfold his nature and claims, and 
so turn the deluded people from the worship 
of idols to the service of that Being who is the 
source of every blessing and the fountain of 
all good. But so imperfectly do these poor 
heathen understand the words, and so thor- 
oughly are they convinced that nothing less 
than God could perform such a miracle, that 
they are with great difficulty restrained from 
offering their sacrifices. The fickleness of 
human character is strikingly illustrated in the 
subsequent conduct of these pagans. The 
apostles having disclaimed divinity, the peo- 
ple are obliged to seek some other explanation 
of the miracle; and while they are discussing 
the matter among themselves, certain Jews 
from Antioch and Iconium arrive for the pur- 
pose of renewing the persecution against 
Paul and Barnabas, and if possible put a 
stop to the wonderful success attending their 
preaching. Not content with driving them 

from their own cities, they continue to pursue 
14 



210 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

the preachers from place to place, jealous of 
the remarkable success that accompanies the 
preaching of the gospel. Even Christ's power 
to work miracles has been attributed to " Beel- 
zebub, the prince of the devils " (Matt. xii. 24) ; 
and, to account for the miraculous power of 
the apostles, doubtless some such theory is 
now advanced by these enemies, who gladly 
avail themselves of so favorable an opportuni- 
ty to incite the people against them. Disap- 
pointed in their own theory about the divinity 
of the apostles, it is not strange that this new 
theory should produce a revulsion of feeling 
among the excited Lycaonians, or that they so 
readily join in the plan of persecution suggest- 
ed by the Jews. What was done to Barnabas 
the historian fails to state; but the infuri- 
ated mob attack Paul with stones ; and having 
killed him, as they suppose, rudely drag him 
beyond the city limits, where they leave his 
lifeless body. To this act Paul doubtless re- 
fers in 2 Cor. xi. 25. Soon the converts to 
Christianity gather around the mangled form 
of their leader, and as they stand in mournful 



First Missionary Tour Completed. 211 

groups bemoaning their loss or discussing the 
arrangements for the burial, suddenly, all 
bruised and bleeding, he staggers to his feet, 
and with the assistance of friends goes back 
into the city. Carefully is the news guarded 
from their enemies, and gently are the wounds 
dressed by willing hands until the following 
day, when, in company with Barnabas, the 
victim of persecution secretly retires to the 
neighboring town of Derbe, where their stay 
is perhaps as successful, though not as event- 
ful, as at Lystra; for here they also organize a 
church and " disciple many," among whom was 
perhaps Gains (Acts xx, 4), one of Paul's 
fellow-laborers, At Lystra another of those 
who afterward became prominent in the his- 
tory of the Church was added to the com- 
pany of the disciples. This was young Tim- 
othy (Acts xvi, 1, 2 Tim, iii, 10, 11), who in 
after years became Paul's most intimate friend 
and trusted companion. Thus out of the fires 
of persecution came forth some of the bright- 
est lights that ever gleamed in the spirit- 
ual firmament, and from the very first "the 



212 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

blood of the martyrs was the seed of the 
Church." 

Having established the church in Derbe by 
providing for it necessary officers, and indoc- 
trinating its members in the truths of Chris- 
tianity, the missionaries begin their journey 
homeward; and notwithstanding the persecu- 
tion and danger they might reasonably expect, 
and the fact that a much shorter route to An- 
tioch — the home Church from which they had 
been sent out— lay before them through Cilicia, 
Paul's native country, such is their interest 
in and concern for their new converts that 
they willingly turn back and pass over the 
same ground again, that they may revisit the 
churches which they had previously estab- 
lished. In this day, when many of our 
churches are characterized by a wild mania 
for numbers, and many of our ministers seem 
intent only upon gathering members into the 
Church, it may be well to note that in the es- 
timation of Paul, the prince of preachers, as 
shown by his constant conduct, it is just as 
important to indoctrinate and edify those who 



First Missionary Tour Completed. 213 

are already in the Church as it is to gather 
new members into it The object of the mis- 
sionaries upon their return tour was to " con- 
firm the souls of the disciples " by giving them 
additional instructions in the doctrines and 
principles of Christianity, and to perfect the 
organization of the churches by ordaining in 
each of them the necessary officers. Accord- 
ingly, we find that "in every church they or- 
dained elders." 

Having visited all the towns where they had 
previously established churches and provided 
for the spiritual welfare of their converts, they 
come to Perga, where from some cause they 
had failed to preach on their former journey. 
Here they now preach, and after organizing a 
church, perhaps, they pass on to Attalia, 
whence they sail for Antioch to rejoin their 
friends and recount their missionary experi- 
ence. This they did doubtless under the 
guiding influence of the Holy Ghost, having 
completed the work, as we learn from Luke's, 
record, to which they had been set apart. 

After an absence of twelve months, per- 



214 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

haps, the missionaries again enter Antioch, and 
gathering the Church together they make a 
full and doubtless formal report of their la- 
bors. And it was probably from this report 
that Luke gathered the materials for his his- 
tory. Here they again resume their pastoral 
work, but how long they remain before they 
go up to Jerusalem to attend the council in 
reference to the reception of the Gentiles into 
the Church, it is difficult and perhaps impos- 
sible to determine. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

The manner as well as the matter of preach- 
ing is of great importance. 

Wherever men go they should attend the 
sanctuary. 

There have always been " unbelieving " per- 
sons who have "made the minds of men evil- 
affected against the brethren " and their cause. 

Opposition, instead of deterring, only makes 
the Christian labor more earnestly. 

God has ever borne "testimony unto the 
word of his grace," and performed wonders 
through his faithful servants. 



First Missionary Tour Completed. 215 

The world has ever been divided into two 
classes, "part holding with the enemies, and 
part with the friends of Christ." 

Parties otherwise alien and hostile have 
often combined against the servants of Christ. 

Christians should not needlessly expose 
their lives to danger. 

Wherever the Christian goes he should 
preach the gospel. 

The gospel has ever been the friend of the 
helpless and needy. 

The true Christian seeks to honor his Mas- 
ter rather than himself. 

The wisest and best of men are but men 
still. 

Ministers are commissioned to " preach unto 
men that they should turn from vanities unto 
the living God." 

God permits much that he does not approve. 

God has never left himself without witness 
in any age or among any people. 

From God cometh " every good and perfect 
gift." 

God alone is worthy of worship. 



216 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

Popular favor is ever fickle. The hands 
that bear " garlands" now may soon hurl 
" stones," and the tongues that shout " Hosan- 
na " to-day may cry " Crucify " to-morrow. 

" Man is immortal till his work is done." 

New converts need encouragement and in- 
struction. 

" To continue in the faith " is as important 
as to embrace it at first. 

"We must through much tribulation enter 
into the kingdom of God." 

Every church should be thoroughly organ- 
ized under competent officers. 

The return of missionaries, and the report 
of their work, is of great benefit to the Church. 

Missionary meetings, where are " rehearsed 
the things that God has done, and how he has 
opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles," 
are exceedingly important. 

God works with and through human instru- 
mentalities. 

God calls his servants to go sometimes on 
long, toilsome, and perilous journeys, and 
sometimes to rest in the bosom of the Church. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

CONFERENCE AT JERUSALEM, 

LUKE'S history of the apostolic Church is 
naturally divided into two nearly equal 
parts, the first of which recounts the opera- 
tions of Divine Providence whereby the Church 
is forced to the conclusion that the gospel is 
for the Gentile as well as the Jew, while the 
second records the acts of the Church in car- 
rying this decision into effect. This conclu- 
sion, although rendered unmistakable by the 
leadings of Providence, nevertheless dawned 
gradually upon the Church, and was finally 
reached only after a heated debate in the Gen- 
tile Church at Antioch, and an equally ani- 
mated discussion among the apostles and eld- 
ers of the mother Church at Jerusalem. That 
the apostles and their first followers should 
have been so slow in perceiving the truth and 
grasping the idea of Christianity in its uni- 
versality at first glance seems strange; but we 

(217) 



218 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

must remember that their natural prejudices 
and early religious training, together with cus- 
toms rendered sacred by immemorial usage, 
and ceremonies clothed with all the authority 
of statutory law, were arrayed against such a 
conclusion. The controversy in reference to 
admitting the Gentiles into the Church re- 
volved around a rite that was by no means in- 
significant; but on the other hand was the 
distinctive badge and sacramental seal of the 
whole Mosaic law. In favor of this rite was 
the sanctity of age and immemorial observance 
as well as the example of Christ, who was 
himself circumcised, and whose avowed pur- 
pose was "not to destroy, but to fulfill the 
law." Nowhere could it be shown that he had 
repealed the rite, nor had he given authority 
to his disciples to do so, although he had com- 
missioned them to be the founders of his 
Church; so that it was but natural that con- 
verted Jews should insist upon its observance, 
both for themselves and their Gentile prose- 
lytes. But over against all these arguments 
was set the unmistakable teachings of Provi- 



Conference at Jerusalem, 219 

dence in receiving the Gentiles upon the very 
same terms and conferring upon them the very- 
same gifts as the Jews; and this argument was 
so overwhelming that it finally determined the 
decision of the council called to meet at Jeru- 
salem to consider the question. And so the 
Church, following in the footsteps of her Mas- 
ter, accorded to the Gentiles equal privileges 
with the Jews, and inscribed upon her banner, 
even at that early day, " Christ for the world, 
and the world for Christ." About the time 
Paul and Barnabas returned from their mis- 
sionary tour, the tidings of their success hav- 
ing reached Jerusalem, certain converted Jews, 
more zealous for the customs of their fathers 
than for the cause of their Master, having 
taken exception to what they regarded as in- 
tolerable irregularities in receiving Gentiles 
into the Church without first making them 
Jews, came to Antioch for the purpose of call- 
ing the missionaries to account and correcting 
the errors they had inculcated. Who these 
persons were we do not know, but in all prob- 
ability they were men of no great prominence, 



220 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

and perhaps less spirituality, for Paul (Gal. ii. 
4), in referring to this occasion, characterizes 
them as " false brethren;" and certainly their 
teachings were false, and very pernicious as 
well, for they thus made circumcision essen- 
tial to salvation. They did not deny the ne- 
cessity for faith, but their error consisted in 
making something else besides faith the con- 
dition of salvation. The same question, in 
its essential features, was raised at the Eefor- 
mation, and again settled in favor of the truth. 
The same mistake is made to-day by all who 
substitute an external rite for faith in a per- 
sonal Saviour, or who seek to add any thing to 
faith as the one simple and sole condition of 
salvation; for it is not faith and something else 
added thereto, but faith alone, that procures 
salvation. Paul and Barnabas, in self-defense 
and in vindication of their course in establish- 
ing Gentile churches, and from a higher mo- 
tive still — viz., the love of the truth — earnestly 
resisted the false teaching of these Judaizers, 
and engaged with them in animated debate; 
the Greek word indicating that the excitement 



Conference at Jerusalem. 221 

among the debaters was very great. In fact, 
so warm did the discussion become that it was 
finally agreed to refer the question to the apos- 
tles and the mother Church at Jerusalem for 
settlement. To this Paul agreed; not because 
he for one moment wavered in his convictions 
(Gal. ii. 5), but in deference to the wishes of 
the Church at Antioch, and in obedience to a 
divine command (Gal. ii. 2). In proof that ho 
felt convinced he was right, he took with him 
to Jerusalem Titus, an uncircumcised Greek 
(GaL ii. 3). The Church at Antioch did not 
by this act appeal to the authority of tho 
Church at Jerusalem as though it possessed 
any superior power, but merely sent this dele- 
gation to inquire into the representations made 
by the persons who had come from Judea, and 
to free their own conduct from misconstruc- 
tion. That they sympathized with Paul in his 
viewg was but natural, and is abundantly evi- 
dent from their making Titus a member of the 
delegation, as well as from the courteous and 
formal manner in which they escorted the del- 
egates on their way. The route lay through 



222 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

Phenicia and Samaria, along the line of 
churches already established, to whom Paul 
and Barnabas rehearsed the success of their 
missionary labors, and so " they caused great 
joy unto all the brethren." Having arrived at 
Jerusalem, the delegates from Antioch re- 
ceived a very cordial welcome from the Church; 
but before making publicly known the object 
of their visit, Paul probably called together 
the apostles and conferred with them (Gal, ii. 
2); and in the public meeting which followed 
he seems to have taken no part except to make 
a simple statement of the work that had been 
done through him and Barnabas. How many 
of the apostles were present upon the occasion 
we do not know, but at least three (Gal. ii. 9)— ~ 
Peter, James, and John, and perhaps others- 
were at this time in Jerusalem, which was still 
their head-quarters. Just how the council was 
conducted we do not know, except that James 
surnamed the Just, and own brother of Christ 
perhaps, was the presiding officer and an- 
nounced the decision of the assembly (Acts 
xy. 19), We know, however, that there were 



Conference at Jerusalem. 223 

two other apostles present, representing doubt- 
less other churches in Judea, while Paul and 
Barnabas, with their associates, were there 
from Antioch, and "elders " from at least one 
church. The court having been formally and 
regularly constituted, Paul proceeds to state 
the facts in connection with the missionary 
work done by himself and Barnabas, and to 
show that the Lord had evidently received the 
Gentile upon the very same terms as the Jew, 
But no sooner does he sit down than his posi- 
tion is challenged by the opposing partj^ who 
insist upon their favorite idea of ceremonial 
observance, and the necessity of obedience to 
the Mosaic ritual, One after another speaks 
upon the subject doubtless until the discus- 
sion becomes so animated that a decision 
seems almost impossible, To simplify matters 
the moderator at length appoints a committee, 
of which Petey $eems to have been the chair^ 
man. After a careful consideration of the 
whole subject the committee bring in a report, 
which is introduced by Peter in a forcible 
speech, in which, he recounts his qwq e^peri, 



224 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ence in preaching to the Gentiles, and the 
manner in which God had shown him that he 
was no respecter of persons. He was the 
apostle of the circumcision, and at one time 
strongly opposed to receiving the Gentiles into 
the Church; so that his words had great 
weight with the presbytery. In fact, his ar- 
gument based upon God's providence was ab- 
solutely unanswerable; for if God had received 
the Gentiles without requiring them to sub- 
mit to the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic 
law, as he evidently had done, certainly the 
Church had no right to insist upon such obe- 
dience. At the close of Peter's speech Paul 
and Barnabas again recount their labors in the 
missionary field and the credentials with which 
God had furnished them, thus proving con- 
clusively that he had granted to the Gentiles 
the presence and power of the Holy Ghost 
even as he had done to the Jews, and had 
shown no difference whatever between them. 
Doubtless the debate was continued by many 
speeches on both sides, but Peter's report was 
at last adopted; and when James rose to an- 



Conference at Jerusalem. 225 

nounce the decision of the conference he con- 
cluded the discussion with a masterly argu- 
ment drawn from prophecy, showing that 
God's providential dealings with the Gentiles 
had long before been predicted in his word. 
The decision of the perplexing question hav- 
ing at last been reached, the action of confer- 
ence is reduced to writing and placed in the 
hands of a committee, together with letters of 
sympathy and encouragement addressed to 
their Gentile brethren, to be conveyed to the 
Church at Antioch, and to the Gentile church- 
es throughout the world. This committee was 
composed of "Joses, surnamed Barnabas," and 
"Silas, chief man among the brethren," dis- 
tinguished doubtless for both prudence and 
piety. What became of one of them after his 
mission to Antioch was discharged we know 
not, but the other became the chosen and faith- 
ful companion of the heroic Paul in his sub- 
sequent missionary labors. The action of the 
conference was in some respects a compro- 
mise paper. The representation made by the 

Judaizers at Antioch was repudiated, and the 
15 



226 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

men themselves characterized as a self-consti- 
tuted delegation wholly unauthorized to speak 
for the Church at Jerusalem. Still some re- 
strictions were placed upon the Gentile con- 
verts in order that they might not unnecessa- 
rily give offense to their Jewish brethren. 
They were to refrain from "meat that had 
been offered to idols," and from the use of 
" blood," both of which were strongly con- 
demned by the Jewish law (Ps. cvi. 28, Gen. 
ix. 4, Lev. xvii. 13, 14, Deut. xii. 23, 24). 
They were also to abstain from " fornication," 
which by the Jew was considered a grievous 
sin, but by the Gentile was regarded as in no 
sense blameworthy. Thus each side was re- 
quired to make certain concessions for the 
sake of the other; and this action of the Je- 
rusalem conference, by restoring peace and 
harmony to the Church, exerted a lasting in- 
fluence for good. The decision reached was 
not based upon mere human judgment, but was 
given under the guidance and by the authority 
of the Holy Ghost, and was binding upon the 
Church. Having received the letters and other 



Conference at Jerusalem. 227 

writings, the committee appointed by the con- 
ference, accompanied by Paul and his compan- 
ions, set out for Antioch. Here they report 
the action of the assembly, and bring joy and 
gladness to the Gentile converts because a 
schism had been thus happily averted. In ad- 
dition to the letters of sympathy sent from 
Jerusalem, Judas and Silas themselves preach 
the gospel, thus giving much encouragement 
to their Gentile brethren. How long they con- 
tinue in this delightful work we know not, but 
after awhile Judas returns to Jerusalem, while 
Silas remains in Antioch and becomes Paul's 
companion in his subsequent missionary la- 
bors. This action of the Jerusalem council is 
worthy of especial attention, because it marks 
a new epoch in the history of Christianity. 
Henceforth Jew and Gentile stand upon the 
same footing. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Paul's second missionary tour. 

AFTER their return from the council at 
Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas resumed 
for awhile their labors as co-pastors of the 
Church at Antioch. How long they were thus 
engaged we do not know, but perhaps not a 
great while; for finding others ready to teach 
and preach in the home churches, while there 
were no laborers in the missionary field, the 
soul of the heroic Paul goes out in tender 
compassion and earnest consideration for the 
benighted Gentiles, and turning to Barnabas, 
who was his companion in boyhood and his 
fellow-laborer in the former missionary jour- 
ney, he proposes to him that they make a sec- 
ond tour for the purpose of encouraging and 
strengthening their Gentile converts. These 
brethren were in great need of sympathy, for 
they were exposed on every hand to trials 

from their heathen neighbors, and they were 

(228) 



PauVs Second Missionary Tour. 229 

also in sad need of instruction, for they had 
been reared as pagans, and even after their 
conversion they had been left without a teach- 
er and without so much as a Bible, perhaps, 
to guide them in the path of duty. Knowing 
this, Paul was anxious to revisit them, for he 
was not content to measure his work by the 
mere number of conversions. In his opinion 
it was just as important to strengthen his con- 
verts in all the Christian graces (Acts xviii. 23, 
1 Thess. iii. 5, 2 Cor. xi. 2, 3) and build them 
up in a holy life. He thus furnishes an ex- 
ample that is at least worthy of consideration 
at the present day, when a man's work is so 
apt to be estimated by the number of names 
he adds to the Church record. Barnabas will- 
ingly consents to Paul's proposition, being 
equally anxious to revisit the scenes of their 
former labors, and eager doubtless not only to 
learn the spiritual condition of each church, 
but to hear the personal experience of each 
individual convert. But while readily agree- 
ing as to the general purpose of their journey, 
they fail to agree as to the details. Barnabas 



230 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

desired to take with them "John, whose sur- 
name was Mark," his sister's son (Acts xv. 37), 
influenced thereto no doubt by reason of this 
near relationship, as well as by his natural 
kindness of heart, which led him upon a for- 
mer occasion to espouse the cause of Paul 
himself when he was rejected by the Church 
(Acts ix. 27); and his confidence in the better 
character of his nephew was not misplaced, as 
Paul was afterward very willing to acknowl- 
edge (Col. iv. 10, 11, 2 Tim. iv. 11). Mark had 
deserted the missionaries on their former tour 
at Pamphylia (Acts xiii. 13), either through 
homesickness or an unwillingness to endure 
the toil and encounter the danger to which 
they were exposed, or from some other cause 
which was not considered satisfactory by Paul, 
and he was not willing to take him a second 
time. On account of this difference of opin- 
ion the two apostles, so long and so pleasantly 
associated, became alienated in their feelings 
and separated in their work, for " the conten- 
tion was so sharp between them that they de- 
parted asunder one from the other." No 



Paul's Second Missionary Tour. 231 

doubt both were at fault; Paul being too harsh 
in his judgment of Mark, and Barnabas too 
lenient. But it is hardly possible that the two 
friends parted in anger and hatred, for Paul's 
subsequent reference to Barnabas (1 Cor. ix. 
6) shows that the alienation was not perma- 
nent; yet their quarrel deprived them of the 
pleasure of visiting together the scenes of 
their former labors, and presented a humili- 
ating spectacle for the consideration of the 
Church and the criticism of the world. It is 
worthy of note that all Paul's recorded con- 
troversies with his brethren — viz.: with the 
Judaizing teachers from Jerusalem (Acts xv. 
2), with Peter (Gal. ii. 11), and with Barnabas — 
occurred about this time, and may be account- 
ed for perhaps in part by the delicate condi- 
tion of his health (Gal. iv. 13). But however 
wrong the quarrel between the apostles may 
have been, God overruled it for good, and 
thereby secured two missionary enterprises 
instead of one. "Barnabas took Mark and 
sailed unto Cyprus," his native country, in 
connection with which we thus have the first 



232 Day-daivn of Christianity. 

(Acts iv. 36) and last mention of his name; for 
after this incident there is no further mention 
of him. But it is hardly possible that such a 
man could remain inactive, and as Christianity 
afterward became established on the island of 
Cyprus, it is well-nigh certain that his time 
was spent in preaching the gospel to his coun- 
trymen. While Barnabas and Mark thus sail 
for Cyprus, Paul selects as a companion Silas, 
one of the two delegates sent by the Jerusa- 
lem council to the Church at Antioch, and 
with him departs on his second missionary 
journey. While Barnabas takes their former 
route, with a view perhaps to visiting the 
churches in the order in which they w^ere es- 
tablished, Paul journeys to the extreme east- 
ern limit, and visits them in an opposite direc- 
tion. "He went through Syria and Cilicia," 
of which Antioch and Tarsus were the capitals, 
and thus he also doubtless revisits his native 
city, and likewise, perhaps to him, the more 
memorable city of Damascus. But wherever 
he went his work was to " confirm the church- 
es" in faith and a holy life by explaining to 



Paul's Second Missionary Tour. 233 

them more fully the plan of salvation and in- 
doctrinating them more thoroughly in the 
grand truths of the gospel. Thus they were 
" established in the faith and increased in 
number daily." 

The revival began, as it always does, in the 
hearts of God's people, and when they were 
edified and revived sinners were converted and 
added to the fellowship of the saints. Paul 
doubtless experienced great pleasure in again 
meeting those in whose salvation he had been 
instrumental; but there was one in whom he 
felt a special interest. In the Church at Lys- 
tra was a young man whose zeal and consecra- 
tion gave promise of great usefulness. His 
name was Timothy, and he was doubtless one 
of the apostle's converts during his former 
visit to that place. Finding his past life char- 
acterized by consistency and consecration, 
Paul is anxious to have him as a co-laborer in 
the missionary work, and from this time for- 
ward he becomes the intimate friend and al- 
most constant companion of the great apostle. 
How long the missionaries tarried among the 



234 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

churches already established we do not know, 
but having familiarized themselves with their 
spiritual condition and imparted needed in- 
struction, they left them for the purpose of 
preaching the gospel where it had never been 
heard. 

Having passed through that portion of Asia 
Minor adjacent to Phrygia and Galatia, they 
attempt to preach in the Roman province of 
Asia, bordering on the iEgean Sea, but some 
interposition of Providence or direct commu- 
nication of the Spirit caused them to change 
their course, and they passed on with the in- 
tention of entering Bithynia, another province 
in the extreme north of Asia Minor. Here 
they were a second time arrested in their self- 
selected course by some providential interfer- 
ence, and they again changed their route and 
went down to Troas, an important sea-port a 
few miles distant from the site of ancient 
Troy. Hitherto the Spirit had shown the 
missionaries where they must not preach; now 
they receive the third supernatural revelation 
directing them where they must preach, for in 



Paul's Second Missionary Tour. 235 

the silent watches of the night there appeared 
to Paul in a vision a heavenly messenger in the 
garb of the Macedonians, and perhaps speak- 
ing their dialect, beseeching him to come and 
preach the gospel in Europe. Macedonia was 
one of the most important kingdoms of ancient 
Greece, and the birthplace of Alexander the 
Great. But favored as Greece was in philos- 
ophy, art, and commerce, she still needed the 
help of the gospel just as all heathen countries 
do to-day, however highly favored they may be 
in other respects. This vision cleared away 
all doubt from the mind of Paul in reference 
to the path of duty, and he prepared at once 
to obey the divine command thus given. For 
the first time in the pages of his history Luke 
here speaks as an eye-witness, and uses the 
first person " we," from which it has been rea- 
sonably conjectured that he joined the mis- 
sionaries at Troas, in the capacity of a physi- 
cian (Col. iv. 14), for the purpose of watching 
over Paul, whose health at this time was very 
delicate (Gal. iv. 13-15). Taking with him the 
little missionary band, which now numbered 



236 Day-daivn of Christianity. 

three besides himself — viz.: Silas, Luke, and- 
Timothy — Paul prepares to leave Asia; and it 
is worthy of note that this hero of the gospel 
thus sets sail upon his Heaven-appointed 
mission from the same port from which em- 
barked the heroes of both the " Odyssey" and 
the "iEneid." 

Truths to be Treasured. 

People must not only be converted, they 
must also be indoctrinated and trained in 
God's service. 

While the home field has comparatively 
many laborers — in the United States one min- 
ister for every six hundred persons — the for- 
eign field has but few indeed, only one minis- 
ter to every half-million of people. 

The faithful preacher makes the spiritual 
condition of his flock the subject of much 
earnest thought and prayer. 

The best of men are not without fault — even 
the apostles quarreled among themselves. 

Faithful service in a small field prepares for 
usefulness in a larger one. 

In matters of indifference the Christian may 



PauVs Second Missionary Tour. 237 

yield to the whims of others, but never in 
matters essential to salvation. 

Churches " established in the faith" will 
increase in numbers. 

God often hedges up our pathway because 
he has a better one awaiting us. 

The Macedonian cry, " Come over and help 
us," is to-day echoed from every quarter of the 
heathen world in the dying-groans of nearly 
one thousand millions of our race. 



CHAPTER XX. 

THE GOSPEL IN EUROPE. 

AFTER a prosperous voyage of two days, 
the missionaries land at Neapolis, a sea- 
port on the Macedonian coast some ten miles 
from Philippi; but from some cause they re- 
main here but a very short time, and hurry on 
to the latter city, which was founded by and 
named in honor of Philip, the father of Alex- 
ander the Great. It is memorable in profane 
history as the scene of a great battle between 
rival factions of Romans, and rendered still 
more memorable in sacred history as the scene 
of the first battle upon European soil between 
Christianity and Paganism. At the time of 
Paul's visit it was one of the principal cities 
of Macedonia and a Roman " colony " — a fact 
noted by Luke doubtless because of what after- 
ward occurred to the missionaries at this 
place. A "colony" was Rome in miniature. 

The names of its citizens were still enrolled in 

(238) 



The Gospel in Europe. 239 

one of the Roman tribes, the Roman laws and 
customs were scrupulously observed and were 
administered by magistrates, or pretors, the 
Latin language was spoken, and even the coins 
bore Latin inscriptions. Such was the char- 
acter of the community into which Paul and 
his companions now enter. Being a military 
rather than a commercial city, there were per- 
haps very few Jews in it and no synagogue. 
But there w r ere a few devout souls among these 
Jews, who loved to engage in the worship of 
the God of their fathers, and they found a 
suitable place in one of nature's temples amidst 
the quiet seclusions of an inviting grove just 
outside the city gates, near by the sparkling 
waters of a majestic river. To this sacred spot 
they often resorted for prayer and praise; and 
on the Sabbath after the arrival of the mis- 
sionaries at Philippi they go as usual to en- 
gage in religious worship, accompanied by 
Paul and his companions, with whom they 
have become acquainted during the preceding 
days; for it is but natural to suppose that in 
the midst of strangers these pioneer preachers 



240 Day -claim of Christianity. 

would seek the society of those in whose lives 
they found some affinity. Apparently the lit- 
tle band of worshipers is composed chiefly, if 
not entirely, of women ; and so all the grand 
results achieved by the gospel throughout 
Europe and America may be traced back 
along the line of rolling centuries to that 
woman's prayer-meeting held on the banks of 
the Gangites nearly two thousand years ago, 
for the gospel was not introduced into Europe 
by means of splendid and imposing services 
in some magnificent synagogue or grand ca- 
thedral, where eager multitudes hung en- 
tranced upon the eloquent words of the preach- 
er, but rather through the influence of a sim- 
ple sermon addressed to an audience of per- 
haps less than a dozen women seated upon the 
ground under the grateful shade of the trees. 
It is not probable that Paul preached even a 
formal sermon, but with his companions " sat 
down," and in an informal way unfolded the 
plan of salvation to the " women who resorted 
thither." Among the number was one called 
Lydia, a Jewish proselyte, most probably 



The Gospel in Europe. 241 

from the "city of Thyatira," in the province 
of Asia; and it is remarkable that Paul's 
first convert on European soil was from the 
very country where he had been forbidden to 
preach by the interpositions of Providence. 
By occupation this woman was a "seller of 
purple," either of the dye-stuff or of the fab- 
rics already dyed. These purple robes were 
highly prized by the ancients ( Jer. x. 9, Ezra 
xxvii. 7, Luke xvi. 19, Be v. xvii. 4, xviii. 16), 
and the art of dyeing them is expressly men- 
tioned in the classics as practiced by the Lyd- 
ian women (Homer, Book IV., 141). Purple in 
olden times was quite costly; so that Lydia's 
occupation would require the investment of 
considerable capital, and hence it is natural to 
conclude that she was possessed of some 
wealth. She had been proselyted to the Jew- 
ish faith, and was already a devout worshiper 
of the true God. Longing no doubt for more 
light, she listened eagerly and intently to what 
the missionaries said with a heart prepared by 
divine power for the reception of the truth, 

and Paul's words, in the hands of the Holy 
lti 



242 Day-dawn of Christianity* 

Spirit, effected her conversion. This she 
gladly attested by a public profession of her 
faith, and was at once formally admitted into 
the Christian Church through the initiatory 
rite of baptism. But not only was she herself 
baptized; her entire " household," including 
children doubtless who were too small to ex- 
ercise a personal faith, likewise received the 
ordinance, and must therefore have been bap- 
tized upon the faith of their mother. Having 
thus identified herself with the visible Church 
of Christ, she seeks to show her gratitude to 
his servants by urging them to become her 
guests. She thus proves her faith by her 
works, for although these men were proclaim- 
ing doctrines that were likely to arouse the 
opposition of her customers, and so injure her 
temporal prosperity, she extends her offers of 
hospitality and presses them with such ear- 
nestness that Paul for once deviates from his 
usual custom of receiving aid from his con- 
verts (Acts xx. 33, 34). Lydia's hospitality 
was so sincere and her means so abundant that 
he could not consistently decline the invitation. 



The Gospel in Europe. 243 

But after all, perhaps, he accepted it for her 
sake, that he might make her more thoroughly 
acquainted with the glorious truths of the gos- 
pel. The missionaries no doubt remained in 
Philippi for some time, and for several Sab- 
baths continued to meet with and instruct 
Lydia and her companions at their place of 
worship by the river-side. On one of these 
occasions they were followed by a poor de- 
moniac, who was regarded by the Philippians 
as a prophetess. By her pretended prophe- 
cies and mad ravings she exerted a great in- 
fluence over the minds of the superstitious, 
and became a source of revenue to her owners. 
Such diviners were protected by the govern- 
ment; and were consulted by the leading men 
of the nation. They were often slaves, as in 
this case. This poor woman, through the in- 
fluence of the demon (Matt. viii. 29, Mark iii. 
11, Luke iv. 41, viii, 28), recognized the power 
of God in the apostles, and following them 
from place to place proclaimed their true 
character to the curious crowds that gathered 
to see and hear the strange preachers. This 



244 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

she continued to do for several days, until 
Paul, overcome by sorrow for the unfortunate 
woman or indignation at the evil spirit, turned 
and commanded it in the name of Christ to 
come out of her; and at once it obeyed, in ful- 
fillment of the promise long before made to 
the disciples (Mark xvi. 17, Luke ix. 1). 

Why Paul waited so long before rebuking 
the evil spirit can only be conjectured, but 
most probably it was prudence which caused 
him to hesitate in provoking a controversy 
with Paganism, by thus making a direct attack 
upon one of its most cherished superstitions. 
Having been rescued from the power of the 
demon and restored to her right mind, the 
woman ceased her pretended prophecies, and 
so ceased to bring money to her owners, who 
seeing the revenues thus cut off, and caring 
nothing for the salvation of a human soul so 
long as it interfered with their business pros- 
perity, instigated a persecution against the mis- 
sionaries. Covetousness was thus the cause 
of this first heathen persecution of Christians, 
as it was of many subsequent persecutions. 



The Gospel in Europe. 245 

Luke and Timothy being Greeks were perhaps 
unmolested, but Paul and Silas were arrested 
by the angry mob and violently hurried into 
the "market-place," where the "magistrates" 
held their court. Before this tribunal they 
were arraigned on a false charge, and the case 
prejudiced by an appeal to the national antip- 
athy against the Jews. These people were 
looked upon with peculiar contempt by the 
Romans, and the accusers artfully seek to ex^ 
cite this prejudice against the prisoners, whom 
they charge with the grave crime of attempt- 
ing to change Roman custom and subvert Ro- 
man law. These laws forbade innovations in 
religion as calculated to unsettle the minds of 
the people and create political disturbances, 
and the accusers thus cover up their private 
grievance under the cloak of public injury, and 
further strengthen their plea by bringing the 
proud Romans into sharp and significant con- 
trast with the hated Jews. Such an appeal 
soon inflamed the minds of the excited crowd, 
and instead of seeking to quell the uproar the 
court encouraged it. It was their duty to pro- 



246 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

tect the prisoners and to give them the oppor- 
tunity of defending themselves, but without 
waiting to go through the formality of a trial 
or to pass sentence of condemnation, they act 
in concert with the enraged mob and command 
them to be beaten. The Greek word in the 
original history indicates that the beating was 
done with " rods," the usual method of Roman 
scourging; and Paul says that he was thus 
punished three times (2 Cor. xi. 25), but his- 
tory is silent as to where the other two scourg- 
ings occurred. The Jewish law restricted the 
strokes to "forty save one " (Deut. xxv. 3), but 
the Roman law had no such merciful provis- 
ion, and in this case the beating doubtless 
continued until the maddened mob grew weary 
of their cruel sport; and as the prisoners were 
beaten upon the bare back, their clothes hav- 
ing been " rent off of them " by the magis- 
trates, they must have suffered intensely. Not 
content with, this cruelty, they afterward cast 
them into prison and charge the jailer to take 
extra precautions in order to prevent the pos- 
sibility of escape. In olden times the jailer 



The Gospel in Europe, 247 

was also the executioner of condemned crimi- 
nals, and so became brutalized by his vocation; 
and the jailer at Philippi was no exception to 
the general rule, for notwithstanding the 
bruised and bleeding condition of his prison- 
ers he hurried them away into the "inner 
prison," a damp, cold cell from which both the 
light and air were excluded, filled with filth 
and reeking with vermin. But to this second 
act of cruelty he adds still another, for he 
makes "their feet fast in the stocks," an in- 
strument used to confine and torture the worst 
criminals. This was a heavy piece of timber 
with holes in it, into which the feet were thrust 
in such a way as to be stretched widely apart, 
and make escape impossible. Such was the 
jailer's object; for he well knew that if his 
prisoners escaped his life must pay the penal- 
ty, according to Roman law. Placed under 
these unfavorable circumstances — with their 
backs still smarting from the cruel scourging, 
without food, stifled by the close, poisonous 
atmosphere, with feet cramped in the stocks, 
and all for the performance of a good deed, 



248 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

without being convicted of any crime, and 
without even the form of a trial — if ever men 
were justifiable in groaning and complaining, 
certainly Paul and Silas were. But as we listen 
for their moans and indignant exclamations 
we catch instead the echoes of a gladsome 
song, wafted on the stillness of the midnight 
air. It was a strange place for a prayer-meet- 
ing, and especially for hymns of praise; and yet 
thus w r ere these prisoners employed, while all 
around them w T ere lost in sleep. But as the 
first strange notes of that midnight song fell 
from their lips, one after another of the pris- 
oners awoke from their slumbers and listened 
with startled attention. They were astonished 
that men could sing under such circumstances, 
and were curious to hear the strange truths 
enunciated in their songs and prayers. Had 
they heard oaths and bitter blasphemies, they 
would have paid no attention to what was 
doubtless an e very-day occurrence; but songs 
of praise issuing from the dungeon's gloomy 
depths had never been heard before. In the 
original history the Greek verbs are in the 



The Gospel in Europe. 249 

imperfect tense, denoting that the praying and 
singing continued for some time, during which 
their fellow-prisoners were attentively listen- 
ing to Paul and Silas, While they are thus 
engaged suddenly the earth begins to tremble, 
shaking the huge iron staples loose from the 
prison-walls and throwing the prison-doors 
wide open. Doubtless all these circumstances 
combined to make a deep impression upon the 
minds of the astonished prisoners, who would 
naturally ascribe this strange phenomenon to 
the God whose name reached their ears for 
the first time in these midnight songs, and 
whose presence and power they had heard in- 
voked in the prayers of his servants w T hom he 
enabled to rejoice under such unfavorable sur- 
roundings; and perchance some of these con- 
victs were numbered among those who were 
received into the Church on that memorable 
night. The jailer having taken extra precau- 
tions with his prisoners, under the impression 
that all is secure, lies down to sleep; but soon 
the song of the imprisoned preachers and the 
shock of the earthquake startle him from his 



250 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

slumbers. Half dazed with astonishment and 
fear, he looks around him, and to his horror 
sees the prison-doors wide open. Naturally 
enough, he concludes that the prisoners are 
gone; and knowing full w r ell that his life must 
pay the penalty if such is the case, he prefers 
suicide to the disgrace of a public execution. 
But just as he makes ready for the fatal deed 
Paul looks out from the darkness of his cell 
and catches sight of the jailer standing with a 
light in one hand and his sword in the other. 
Or, he may have become aware of his purpose 
by hearing some frantic ejaculation, or in some 
supernatural way. At any rate, seeing him in 
the act of taking his life, the grand old mis- 
sionary forgets his own sufferings in his eager 
interest to save the life of another, and calls 
out to him that the prisoners are all still in 
their places — a most remarkable fact, when we 
consider that their fetters had fallen off and 
the prison-doors were standing open! Some 
of these men were doubtless already condemned 
to death, and all of them looked forward to the 
tortures of prison-life more or less protracted ; 



The Gospel in Europe. 251 

but awed by the remarkable events they had 
just witnessed, or influenced it may be by the 
Spirit of that God of whom they had just 
heard for the first time, they were willing to 
imperil their natural lives for the sake of learn- 
ing the way of life eternal. The midnight 
song under circumstances so forbidding, the 
earthquake, the interest of a prisoner in the 
welfare of his keeper, so new and unexpected, 
the presence of all the prisoners without an 
effort to escape, were so strange that the jailer 
was overwhelmed with astonishment and fear. 
Ascribing it all to the influence of Paul and 
Silas, whom he knew to be teachers of a new 
religion, he justly regarded them as more than 
ordinary men. He had doubtless heard of the 
miraculous cure of the demoniac girl, and it is 
not improbable that he had heard something 
of the gospel from the lips of the imprisoned 
preachers during their stay in Philippi, and 
believed them to be possessed of the great se- 
cret of salvation, which he was now anxious to 
learn. These remarkable events proved the 
last argument perhaps to convince his already 



252 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

inquiring mind; and calling for lights suffi- 
cient to illuminate the dark prison-cells he 
hurries into the presence of the missionaries, 
and after imploring their forgiveness for his 
previous cruelty to them, he brings them out 
of the cold, comfortless " inner prison" into 
the outer court, and anxiously asks that all- 
important question, "What must I do to be 
saved?" which instinctively trembles upon 
the tongue of every awakened sinner, and 
which has echoed throughout the earth as the 
theme of so many impassioned sermons for 
nearly two thousand years. Taking this as a 
text, the preachers, forgetful of their own suf- 
ferings, gladly unfold the plan of salvation to 
the anxious jailer and his family, who, togeth- 
er with the prisoners, doubtless gather around 
and listen with eager curiosity to the words of 
life that thus fall upon their ears for the first 
time. As the precious truths of the gospel 
found a lodgment in these hardened hearts, 
it produced, as it always does, a wonderful 
change, and the formerly cruel jailer is trans- 
formed into a messenger of mercy. With a 



The Gospel in Europe, 253 

soul brimful of gratitude and joy, he seeks how 
to alleviate the sufferings of his new-found 
friends. Accordingly, he brings water and 
carefully washes their wounds, and then with 
water from the same fountain he is in turn 
baptized by the missionaries and at once re. 
ceived into the visible Church. In addition 
to himself, his entire household received the 
ordinance. This included doubtless some of 
the prisoners and all of his children, a part of 
whom were presumably infants. Having thus 
confessed Christ and been received into the 
fellowship of his Church, the jailer turns his 
attention to the comfort of those whom he 
now regards as his guests. At the hazard of 
his office, and perhaps of his life, he removes 
them from the cold, forbidding prison, and 
bringing them into his own house, sets food 
before them, of which they were sadly in need. 
Thus attesting his faith in an act of practical 
piety, in which he literally " feeds the hungry" 
and " cares for the prisoners," he spends the 
remainder of the night with his fellow-Chris- 
tians in acts of devotion and songs of praise. 



254 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

It was a strange hour and a strange place for 
a revival, as well as a strange class of persons 
from which to gather converts. Ordinarily- 
brutal jailers and condemned criminals are not 
the people to swell the ranks of the Church; 
but from this class several accessions were 
now made to the Philippian congregation, 
which hitherto had consisted of Lydia's fam- 
ily and her friends. But this church, thus 
born amidst these remarkable surroundings, 
was sacredly embalmed in the memory of Paul; 
and while he regarded it with especial affec- 
tion (Phil, i, 3-5), it reciprocated his feelings, 
and was at one time the only church which he 
founded from which he received contributions 
for his support (Phil. iv. 10-15), It is worthy 
of note that his letter to this church, whose 
very name must have been to him the syno- 
nym of physical suffering and a constant re- 
minder of his own guilt in persecuting the 
servants of God, is the most joyous of all his 
Epistles, 

At last morning broke on that eventful night, 
and the "magistrates," alarmed by the earth- 



The Gospel in Europe. 255 

quake, or convinced upon further reflection 
that they had treated the prisoners with undue 
harshness, send messengers to the jail to have 
them released. Overjoyed at the prospect of 
seeing his new-found friends set at liberty, the 
jailer hurries to them with the welcome ti- 
dings; but to his astonishment the prisoners 
demur, and send a message to the magistrates 
that is w r ell calculated to fill them with the 
gravest apprehensions. For the first time 
Paul reveals the important fact that he and his 
companion are Boman citizens, and that the 
magistrates by their hasty and harsh conduct 
have rendered themselves liable to lose their 
positions, and perhaps their lives, by thus vio« 
lating the stern laws of Borne, Learning this, 
they are justly filled with alarm; and, hurry- 
ing to the prison, they penitently beg pardon of 
their prisoners and earnestly request them to 
leave the city. Actuated by no feelings of re- 
venge, the preachers are ready to grant this 
request after they have made suitable provis- 
ion for the welfare of the church, but will not 
compromise Christianity by fleeing as fugi^ 



256 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

tives. This whole narrative sets forth most 
strikingly Paul's clear judgment and remark- 
able presence of mind, as well as his firm, un- 
shaken faith in the promises of God. Sent by 
divine direction to preach the gospel in Eu- 
rope, he might naturally have felt discouraged 
and dismayed when he found his labors sud- 
denly arrested and himself and companion 
helpless prisoners in a dreary dungeon; but 
faith enabled him to soar to that high pin- 
nacle of Christian confidence where he could 
look out undismayed over the wreck of man's 
fondest hopes and exclaim, "We know that all 
things work together for good to them that 
love God! " He might have escaped from his 
perilous position under the cover of darkness 
and by the help of the earthquake, but to do 
so would compromise his standing as the rep- 
resentative of Christianity and cripple the fut- 
ure efforts of the church at Philippic To flee 
thus as a fugitive would leave the jailer to 
commit suicide, and the prisoners to perish in 
their sins; and even to depart privately from 
the prison as suggested by the magistrates, 



The Gospel in Europe. 257 

would be to lose the high vantage-ground that 
might be gained for the Church if they were 
publicly acquitted of the alleged offense, and 
as Roman citizens placed under the protection 
of the law. Having thus secured for their 
cause the sympathy and respect of the people, 
Paul and Silas, after speaking words of in- 
struction and encouragement to their new con- 
verts, place the infant church under the care 
of Luke and Timothy and take their depart- 
ure for other fields of labor. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

"Women have ever been among the most 
earnest and useful members of the Christian 
Church. 

The gospel should be preached by the " riv- 
er-side," as well as in the pulpit. 

The great church at Philippi grew out of a 
little prayer-meeting held by a few godly 
women. 

The devout soul does not allow business to 
prevent worship. 

By living up to the light she had, Lydia re- 
ceived still more. 
17 



258 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

When the Lord opens the heart, it will " at- 
tend to the things spoken " by his servants. 

Faith in Christ should be attested by a pub- 
lic profession of Christ. 

The Christian religion is a family religion. 

"The children of believing parents are to 
be baptized." 

Hospitality is a Christian virtue and duty. 

The devil hates the prayer- meeting. 

The devil is subject to the power and au- 
thority of Christ. 

Good men are grieved by what Satan 
does. 

Wicked men oppose the gospel because it 
interferes with their dishonest gains. 

Fidelity to the truth brings trials and per- 
secutions. 

The Christian religion commends itself to 
man by inspiring songs of joy amidst the 
darkest scenes of life. 

What men are is of far greater importance 
than where they are. 

God not only executes but he controls the 
laws of nature. 



The Gospel in Europe. 259 

God can deliver his people from all their 
enemies. 

" Do thyself no harm," is the message of the 
gospel to every self -destroying sinner. 

Guilt is the parent of fear. 

"What must I do to be saved?" is the most 
important question of life. 

Salvation is obtained not by doing, but by 
believing. 

Faith in Christ is the simple and sole con- 
dition of salvation. 

Faith is not a work, but a rest upon the fin- 
ished work of another. 

The house reflects the character of its head. 

No one is saved or lost alone. 

Conversion manifests itself in a change of 
conduct. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL IN EUROPE. 

HOW long Luke and Timothy remained at 
Philippi we do not know, but we find the 
latter in company with Paul and Silas at Berea 
a few weeks later (Acts xvii. 14); and it may 
be that he accompanied them from Philippi, 
leaving only the former in charge of that 
church. No mention is made of Luke again 
until Paul's third missionary tour and second 
visit to Macedonia, when we find him once 
more in company with the great missionary 
on the voyage from Philippi to Troas (Acts 
xx. 5, 6), where he resumes the use of the first 
person "we," which he had dropped as Paul 
and his companions left Philippi, and contin- 
ues it to the very end of his history. He 
writes as an eye-witness of what occurred at 
Philippi, but in a more general way of the re- 
mainder of the missionary tour. It has been 

conjectured that he was employed as a physi- 

(260) 



Progress of the Gospel in Europe. 261 

cian and surgeon on one of the large ships that 
sailed between Philippi and Troas, and while 
not in immediate charge of the Philippian 
church he would thus have frequent opportu- 
nities for visiting it. 

Commending the new converts to the grace 
of God and the care of the " beloved physi- 
cian," Paul and Silas turn away from those 
scenes in which there was such a strange in- 
termingling of sunshine and shadow, of joy 
and sorrow, and pursue their journey along 
the old Roman road in search of other fields 
of labor. At the end of the first day's 
journey they come to Amphipolis, a town of 
great military importance in the days of Thu- 
cydides, some thirty miles distant; but from 
some cause they only tarry overnight, and the 
next morning push their way onward to Ap- 
ollonia, thirty miles farther on, which they 
reach toward the close of the second day. 
Here they remain all night, and again hurry 
on to Thessalonica, distant about thirty-five 
miles, which they reach at the end of the third 
day. It was therefore distant from Philippi 



262 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

about one hundred miles. It was a very old 
town, called Therma by Herodotus and Thu- 
cydides, and was the resting-place of Xerxes 
on his memorable march. It was rebuilt by 
Cassander and named in honor of his wife, 
who was a sister of Alexander the Great. It is 
now called Salonica, and is the second city of 
importance in European Turkey. Here the 
missionaries halt and begin to preach the gos- 
pel; and one reason for their doing so seems 
to have been because they here find " a syna- 
gogue of the Jews;" for wherever he goes 
Paul makes the first offer of salvation to his 
countrymen. For three successive Sabbaths 
he meets with them in their synagogue, and 
from their own Scriptures clearly proves that 
the rejected and crucified Nazarene was none 
other than their long- promised Messiah. The 
whole Jewish congregation were deeply inter- 
ested in the discussion, for his familiarity with 
the Scriptures enabled him to take up the 
Messianic prophecies one after another, and 
show how they were all fulfilled in the life 
and death of Christ; and in consequence of 



Progress of the Gospel in Europe. 263 

this comparison of the prophecy and its ful- 
fillment, many of them believed and were re- 
ceived into the fellowship of the Christian 
Church. But then, as now, the preaching of 
the gospel produced two widely differing ef- 
fects; for while some thus believed and sought 
to build up the Church, others were enraged 
by the apostles' success and sought to destroy 
it. Thus, ere the marks of Paul's severe suf- 
ferings at Philippi were effaced (1 Thess. ii. 
2), another persecution was raised against him, 
the cause of which seems to have been the re- 
ception of Gentiles into the Church in the 
same way and upon the same terms as the 
Jews. This gave offense to the unbelieving 
Jews, and calling to their assistance the worth- 
less loafers around the markets and street 
corners, they assault the house where they sup- 
pose the preachers are lodging; but in the 
providence of God the mob fails to find them. 
Still further enraged by this disappointment, 
they rudely seize the proprietor of the house 
and other Christian inmates, and drag them 
before the town authorities upon the charge of 



264 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

treason against the government. This man, 
whom the mob thus substituted for the mis- 
sionaries themselves, was perhaps a relative of 
Paul (Rom. xvi. 21), and was arraigned before 
the court upon the charge of aiding and en- 
couraging men who were seeking to draw the 
people away from their allegiance to the Bo- 
man emperor and attach them to another king. 
This may have been a mere calumny, devised 
in the hope of securing the arrest of the mis- 
sionaries; or, it may have been a real misap- 
prehension of Paul's doctrine of the kingly 
character of Christ, which he held forth very 
prominently in this city (1 Thess. ii. 12, 2 
Thess. i. 5). But at any rate their accusa- 
tion against Paul and Silas, " These that have 
turned the world upside down are come hither 
also," is grand testimony from the enemies of 
the gospel to its revolutionary character, and 
speaks much for the spread of Christianity — 
showing that a report of the apostles' labors 
had preceded them to Thessalonica. The ap- 
pearance of the mob in the streets, and their 
startling statement that such a party as they 



Progress of the Gospel in Europe. 265 

described existed in the city, caused great 
alarm, both among the people and the " rulers." 
The presence of such a party would convict 
the town officials of negligence, and perhaps 
cost them their office, and might result in the 
Romans changing their capital to another city; 
for at this time the Jews were regarded with es- 
pecial dislike, and as yet Jews and Christians 
were classed together. The prisoners were 
therefore doubtless examined very closely; 
but nothing being found that was likely to 
endanger the Roman government, they were set 
at liberty after they had given a pledge that 
the missionaries should be sent away. The 
Greek word translated "rulers" in the origi- 
nal history is a peculiar one, found nowhere 
else in the New Testament nor in any classical 
writer, and it thus bears striking testimony to 
the accuracy of Luke's record, for Thessalo- 
nica was a "free city" — ?', e, y self-governed in 
all its internal affairs, and presided over by a 
board of supreme magistrates to whom was 
given this peculiar title, as proved from an 
inscription on the ruins of an archway in mod- 



266 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ern Salonica, which not only shows that the 
magistrates of ancient Thessalonica were 
called " Paletarchs," but that they were seven* 
in number. The sacred historian narrates 
with striking exactness the political features 
of the various cities and countries through 
which the missionaries pass — e. g., he gives 
Cyprus as a " proconsular province," Philippi 
as a "colony," and Thessalonica as a "free 
city;" all of which statements the pages of 
profane history abundantly verify. 

How long Paul and Silas remained in Thes- 
salonica we do not know, but most probably for 
several weeks; and their labors were crowned 
with rich success, for here they founded what 
afterward became a large and flourishing 
church. It was the second church estab- 
lished in Europe, and was composed of a few 
Jews, a large number of Greeks, and many of 
the most prominent women of the city. From 
the letters afterward addressed to this church 
we learn that Paul, in order to disarm the 
prejudices of his hearers, resolved to make his 
own living rather than accept the hospitality 



Progress of the Gospel in Europe. 267 

to which he was justly entitled (Matt. x. 10, 
Luke x. 7, 1 Tim. v. 18); and we find him, 
after the busy labors of the day in preaching 
to the people, working until a late hour of the 
night at the trade of "tent-making," which he 
had learned in his boyhood (1 Thess. ii. 9, 2 
Thess. iii. 8). In this way he was able to 
provide for himself food and lodging. But 
while he is thus engaged in the Master's 
service he is not forgotten by his Philippian 
friends. Knowing perhaps his reasons for 
laboring with his own hands, they send him 
more than one contribution (Phil. iv. 16) to 
supplement his earnings. That liberality 
which began with Lydia in the very beginning 
of the Church continued to characterize it 
through many years of the future, and the 
gratitude of the jailer doubtless prompted in 
him and others a disposition to imitate the 
example of Lydia, so that the church stands 
conspicuous among its neighbors, character- 
ized by an honorable singularity (Phil. iv. 15). 
In consequence of the disturbance raised by 
the mob, Paul and Silas could not again ap- 



268 Day -claim of Christianity. 

pear in public without endangering their own 
lives and compromising their fellow-Christians; 
so, reluctantly bidding their friends fare- 
well, they depart under the cover of darkness, 
and when the sun again dawns upon the earth 
are far on their way in search of another field 
of labor. This they soon find at Berea, a 
town some fifty miles from Thessalonica, which 
they doubtless reach after a hard day's jour- 
ney. Here they find another synagogue, and 
entering it, at once begin their accustomed 
work of preaching the gospel. Soon an in- 
tense interest is developed in the minds of 
these Jews, who are less prejudiced and less 
bigoted than those of Thessalonica. As Paul 
explains how the Messianic prophecies are 
fulfilled in the life and death of the Nazarene, 
they listen with eager interest; but not content 
to take the statement of a stranger, they retire 
thoughtfully to their homes and carefully ex- 
amine the Scriptures for themselves, in conse- 
quence of which many of them are convinced 
that Christ is indeed the Messiah, and are 
received into the fellowship of the Christian 



Progress of the Gospel in Europe. 269 

Church. Besides the Jews, many Gentiles 
were also admitted to membership; but not- 
withstanding this church has an origin so 
honorable, it is a remarkable fact that Paul 
never refers to it in any of his letters. The 
tidings of Paul's success in Berea were soon 
carried back to Thessalonica, and at once 
aroused the Jews of that city to fresh perse- 
cution. Following the example once set them 
by the great missionary himself, of which he 
was doubtless reminded, they leave their 
homes and their business for the purpose of 
persecuting the Church of Christ, and coming 
to Berea they soon inflame the minds of the 
people and force the apostle to flee again for 
his life. 

Aided by his brethren, he departs secretly 
from the city, and at some point on the neigh- 
boring coast embarks for Athens. So hur- 
riedly is he obliged to leave Berea that the 
work is only partially done, and he leaves Si- 
las and Timothy, who were in less danger than 
himself, to complete the organization of the 
church. If Timothy was indeed left at Phi- 



270 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

lippi with Luke, he doubtless carried one of 
the contributions of that church to Paul while 
he labored at Thessalonica, and possibly re- 
mained there for awhile after the others had 
been sent away. As a Greek he was less ex- 
posed to danger than Paul and Silas, and he 
seems to remain at each station to perfect the 
work which his companions are obliged to 
leave unfinished. At all events, we find him 
again in company with the . missionaries at 
Berea, and he and Silas remain there for 
awhile after Paul's departure. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

Christ " must needs have suffered and risen 
again from the dead." 

" Reasoning out of the Scriptures," it is easy 
to prove that "Jesus is the Christ." 

A careful comparison of the life of Jesus of 
Nazareth with the prophecies concerning the 
Messiah is pretty sure to awaken belief in the 
unprejudiced mind. 

Those who truly believe in Jesus will gladly 
" consort " with his disciples. 

The preaching of the gospel has always been 



Progress of the Gospel in Europe. 271 

attended by widely differing effects — some be- 
lieve, others will not. 

Those who believe not often persecute those 
who do. 

The gospel revolutionizes the heart and the 
world. 

The character and conduct of Christians 
have often been calumniated. 

Besides the monarchs of earth " there is an- 
other King, Jesus," to whom " every knee shall 
bow and every tongue confess." 

To " receive the word of God with readiness 
of mind" indicates nobility of character. 

Proclamation from the pulpit should not be 
blindly received, but should be carefully com- 
pared with the teachings of the Bible. 

The Scriptures should be searched " daily." 

The Scriptures should not only be read, but 
searched. 

When the Scriptures are searched men be- 
lieve. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

PA UL AT A THE NS. 

IT would be interesting to trace the journey 
of Paul from Berea to Athens, but we know 
nothing whatever of it except that he was ac- 
companied by some of his Berean converts, who 
remain with him until he is safely landed in 
the great metropolis, whose very name has be- 
come a synonym for culture and refinement. 
Here they leave him, and return to their homes 
with a message to Silas and Timothy to come 
to him as quickly as possible. Left alone in 
this great city, where every object attests the 
guilt of its inhabitants, Paul is painfully op- 
pressed with a sense of dreary isolation and 
bitter disappointment. He had been com- 
pelled to leave Berea in the very midst of a 
glorious revival, and to turn away from his 
beloved converts at Thessalonica, whom he 
earnestly desired to revisit (1 Thess. ii, 17). 

God's purposes were accomplished by per- 

(272) 



Paul at Athens. 273 

mitting Satan and wicked men to hurry his 
servant onward amidst trials and sorrows to 
spread the gospel far and wide; for they 
thought persecution would kill the Church, 
but it only strengthened it. Knowing full 
well the trials to which his Macedonian con- 
verts are exposed, the apostle is overwhelmed 
with anxious thoughts about them and sympa- 
thetic sadness for their sufferings. But this 
melancholy is soon dispelled, for as he looks 
around upon the scenes of the gay Grecian 
city, everywhere exhibiting the unmistakable 
emblems of iniquity, "his spirit is stirred 
within him," and he begins at once, single- 
handed and alone, a heroic contest with cult- 
ured infidelity. According to his usual cus- 
tom, he first enters the synagogue and preaches 
to his countrymen ; but failing to reach them, 
he turns to the Gentiles, and in the most pub- 
lic thoroughfares proclaims the sublime doc- 
trines of grace. In the Agora, or "market- 
place," especially was found a curious crowd, 
who were willing to pause and listen to the 

strange words of the little Jew. Here on 
18 



274 Day-daivn of Christianity. 

every hand were costly decorations of art and 
memorial statues of Solon, Demosthenes, and 
other great men, while all around were altars 
to heathen deities and shrines of idolatry, for 
" every god in Olympus found a place in the 
Agora." Here also he encountered the two 
great systems of philosophy at that time so 
powerful and so prevalent. On the one hand 
were the Stoics, the followers of Zeno, who 
taught the horrid doctrine of Pantheism; on 
the other were the Epicureans, who were ma- 
terialists and atheists. The one system taught 
that every thing is God; the other denied the 
existence of God altogether. In the presence 
of these rival philosophers this heroic herald 
of salvation now boldly unfurls the blood- 
bathed banner of the cross and presents the 
fundamental truths of the gospel. Instantly 
curiosity is excited, and while some ridicule 
others bring against him the same charge 
which caused his arrest and cruel incarcera- 
tion at Philippi, and which caused the con- 
demnation of Socrates. But in order that 
they may gratify their curiosity and hear these 



Paid at Athens. 275 



strange truths presented more fully, they in- 
vite him away from the noise and confusion of 
the " market" to the Areopagus, where they 
were accustomed to hear the most eloquent 
voices of the world. As the heroic preacher 
moved out through the bustling crowd, wher- 
ever he turned his eyes he beheld the emblems 
of idolatry. Not only in the Agora did he 
find altars and statues, but when he turned to 
the Acropolis he found " one vast composition 
of architecture and sculpture dedicated to the 
national glory and to the worship of the gods; " 
and when he stands on the solemn summit of 
" Mars' Hill," and looks down on the busy 
scenes below, he sees everywhere scores of 
costly shrines and gorgeous temples built in 
honor of imaginary deities. Thus was the 
worship of the true God profaned and his hon- 
or insulted. No wonder, then, that the spirit 
of his lone but loyal servant was " stirred 
within him " by such scenes, or that he poured 
forth the feelings of his full soul in one of the 
grandest speeches that ever fell from human 
lips. The Areopagus, where Paul spoke, had 



276 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

been celebrated from time immemorial. There, 
according to tradition, Mars had been tried 
by the gods; there Socrates had been con- 
demned to death; there Orestes had been 
tried for a crime which has been embalmed in 
tragic poetry; there the most august court 
of the nation and of the world held its ses- 
sions; there the greatest criminals had been 
arraigned, and the most solemn questions of 
religion discussed. To this memorable spot, 
overlooking these temples of superstition and 
shrines of idolatry, Paul is now conducted, and 
in the presence of the nation's ablest repre- 
sentatives delivers one of the most remarkable 
discourses on record, "conciliatory in its tone, 
faultless in its unity, admirable in its develop- 
ment, and replete with facts which underlie all 
theology." As the little Jew, still bearing the 
marks of his sufferings at Philippi, rises be- 
fore his audience he doubtless challenges their 
profoundest attention. Numerous shrines and 
statues could be seen in every direction, and 
to these he points with a graceful gesture, no 
doubt in attestation of his courteous remark; 



Paul at Athens. 277 



" Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all 
things ye are too superstitious [or, religious]." 
His great prudence thus shines out through 
the opening sentence of his address. He was 
placed in a very trying position, for a single 
word indiscreetly uttered would have been 
sufficient to arouse the anger of his auditors; 
but by this courteous and complimentary in- 
troduction he places himself en rapport with 
them at the very outset, and with an ardent 
and enthusiastic eloquence which holds them 
spell-bound he continues to give utterance to 
the feelings which had been raised by the 
sight of the idolatrous city. As attested by 
profane history, Athens was one vast votive- 
offering to the gods, having in it more images 
than all the rest of Greece; and among these 
numerous shrines of idolatry there were sev- 
eral, as Pausanias tells us, dedicated "to the 
Unknown God " — a fact that bears significant 
testimony to the feeling of unrest and uncer- 
tainty which characterized their idolatrous 
worship. For although they worshiped gods 
amounting to thirty thousand, still, lest there 



278 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

might be some other of whom they were igno- 
rant, they erected these nameless altars to his 
honor. With wonderful skill the apostle seiz- 
es upon this fact for the purpose of unfolding 
to them the personality and character of the 
true God; and at the same time he vindicates 
himself from the grave charge of setting forth 
strange gods, since he only unfolds to them 
the true character of a God whom they already 
acknowledge. This God, of whom they con- 
fessedly knew so little, he declares to be the 
"God that made the world and all things 
therein." Thus, in a single sentence, he teach- 
es the doctrine of the creation, and so contra- 
dicts the Epicurean theory that matter is eter- 
nal, and that the universe is but the result of 
a great accident; and in the same utterance he 
teaches the personality of God as distinct and 
separate from the world, and contradicts the 
Pantheistic theory of the Stoics, that God is 
merely the spirit or reason of the universe, 
and that matter is inseparable from God. 
Again, he teaches the unity of the Godhead, 
and contradicts the heathen idea, so long and 



Paul at Athens. 279 



so fondly cherished, of a multiplicity of gods. 
He begins thus at the very foundation both in 
eradicating error and in establishing truth, 
though such a declaration on the part of a 
friendless stranger is remarkably bold, uttered 
as it was in the very face of the champions of 
those systems of philosophy which it so di- 
rectly attacked. But if this first declaration 
seems bold, the second seems even bolder; for 
standing there surrounded by temples as beau- 
tiful as human hands could make them, the 
pride of the whole nation, he does not hesitate 
to declare that this God of whom he speaks 
"is Lord of heaven and earth, and dwelleth 
not in temples made with hands," but is abso- 
lutely independent of man. He thus sets forth 
the true God not only as the Creator but as 
the owner of the world, and as the source of 
every blessing; and he contradicts another 
heathen error — viz., that the gods, in con- 
suming the food and drink offered them in 
worship, were dependent upon human service. 
Having declared these fundamental doctrines, 
he advances a step farther, and interweaves in 



280 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

his resistless argument another cardinal truth, 
declaring the unity of the race as it stands 
correlated with the redemption of the race; 
and at the same time corrects another error 
then current — viz., that each nation had a 
different ancestral origin. In fact, this grand 
old hero of the gospel, guided by the Spirit 
of God, wields a two-edged sword throughout 
this matchless address; and while he boldly 
affirms the fundamental truths of Christianity, 
his very affirmations are courteous denials of 
the false theories of his pagan auditors. If 
all nations were not represented in Adam, as 
Paul declares, neither were they all represent- 
ed in Christ, and the plan of salvation is nec- 
essarily a failure to a great extent, flie God 
of whom Paul speaks is the God of redemp- 
tion; and having shown this, he advances a 
step farther, and declares that he is also the 
God of providence, inasmuch as he has fixed 
the territorial boundaries of each nation and 
determined its seasons of prosperity. The 
object in all these providential dealings is to 
draw men to give honor and homage to the 



Paul at Athens. 281 

God who made them, who is not only the au- 
thor of all their blessings, but the Father of 
their spirits, as attested by even one of the pa- 
gan poets. Thus the speaker advances anoth- 
er step, and declares the Fatherhood of God, 
and in so doing skillfully appeals to an au- 
thority which his audience were willing to 
acknowledge, and he seeks to impress upon 
them all the associated truths setting forth the 
character of the true God. From this prem- 
ise, admitted by his auditors, he next draws a 
conclusion against the worship of idols. Man 
as a spiritual being is manifestly superior to 
inanimate matter; but man is only the "off- 
spring" of God, and hence, a fortiori, God 
should not be degraded by any material 
representation. Thus this heroic servant of 
God, though surrounded on every side by the 
shrines of idolatry, unhesitatingly rebukes his 
hearers for such unbecoming worship; but with 
true Christian charity he hastens to palliate 
their offense on account of their imperfect 
knowledge of the true God. Paul himself 
had obtained pardon because he had sinned 



282 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ignorantly (1 Tim. i. 13), and he sees in the 
ignorance of his heathen auditors a mitigation 
of their guilt in worshiping idols. But now 
that the character of the true God had been 
revealed to them, they would no longer be ex- 
cusable, and they were exhorted to repent of 
their sins and reform their lives. This im- 
portant duty is enforced by the solemn fact 
that God has appointed a day of judgment 
and of righteous retribution. Standing there 
in the Areopagus, the scene of so many trials 
from time immemorial, how natural that the 
apostle should call the attention of his audi- 
ence to that higher and more solemn tribunal 
before which the whole world must stand. 
Thus the speaker advances still another step 
in this incomparable discourse, and sets forth 
the true God as the Judge of all the earth. 
The time of the judgment, though not re- 
vealed to man, has been definitely fixed, and 
shall be conducted in accordance with the 
strictest principles of justice. The one to 
conduct the trial is to be God's own Son, whom 
the apostle here designates as a man, purpose- 



Paul at Athens. 283 



ly leaving out of view his divine nature lest he 
should seem to the idolatrous Athenians only 
to deify a Jewish hero. That Jesus is to be 
the Judge of the world is attested by the fact 
of his resurrection from the dead, because it 
proves him to be the Son of God, and substan- 
tiates the truth of all his declarations; at the 
same time it establishes the doctrine of a gen- 
eral resurrection and of a life beyond the grave, 
without which there could be no judgment. 
That Jesus is to be man's Judge is a doctrine 
full of comfort and encouragement for the be- 
liever; for he will only be called to stand in 
the presence of a loving, sympathetic Friend, 
who, with a smile-lit countenance, will read 
from the great statute-book of heaven, " There 
is therefore now no condemnation to them 
which are in Christ Jesus." But that the un- 
repentant sinner, as he stands helpless amidst 
the sublime scenes of that awful day, must face 
the angry frown of an injured and rejected 
Christ, ought to strike terror to the heart of 
every unconverted man. 

Paul's audience were no doubt very respect- 



284 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ful, and listened attentively to the strange 
statements lie made until he spoke of the res- 
urrection of the dead, which was in such di- 
rect conflict with the teachings of both the 
Epicureans and the Stoics, and seemed to 
them so absurd, that some of them publicly 
derided the speaker, while others, more re- 
spectful but not more serious, declared their 
desire to hear more of this strange doctrine at 
some other time. Finding his earnest words 
ridiculed and rejected, the apostle turns sor- 
rowfully away from his scoffing audience, and 
amidst their jeers and rude jests leaves the 
Areopagus and the idolatrous city, never again 
to enter it, nor even to mention it, so far as 
history shows. At Philippi and Thessalonica 
he had met with opposition and persecution, 
but at each place he was rewarded by seeing a 
Church founded. At Athens he encounters in 
the cold indifference of the people a more 
formidable obstacle, and leaves the city with 
scarcely any visible results of his labors. His 
words found a lodgment in the heart of one 
of the supreme judges of the nation, an un- 



Paul at Athens, 285 



known woman, and a few other obscure per- 
sons; but not many believed, as Luke's lan- 
guage seems to imply. It is perhaps impossi- 
ble to find any recorded speech into which so 
many important truths are compressed as in 
this short address of Paul's. In it he sets 
forth God as Creator of all things in contra- 
distinction to the Epicurean idea of the eter- 
nity of matter; as a Person, in contradistinc- 
tion to the Pantheistic idea of the Stoics; as 
a Unit, in contradistinction tp the Polytheistic 
idea of the Athenians in general; as a Sover- 
eign absolutely independent of man; as the 
Giver of all good; as the God of providence; 
as the common Father of all nations ; and as 
the Judge of the world. In addition to this 
delineation of the divine character, he declares 
the unity of the huijjan race, the duty of re- 
pentance, and the doctrine of the resurrection 
from the dead. 

Tbuths to be Tbeasuked. 
Men may take great interest in religion, but 
unless they worship the true God their religion 
is vain, 



286 Day-dawn of Christianity, 

The Athenian altar "to the Unknown God" 
bears striking testimony to the unrest and un- 
certainty that characterize idolatry. 

The light of nature is not sufficient to re- 
veal God in his true character. 

God owns all things, " seeing that he is the 
Lord of heaven and earth." 

God is independent of man, and needs noth- 
ing that he can give. 

God is the author of every blessing, "see- 
ing he giveth to all life and breath and all 
things." 

" God hath made of one blood all nations of 
men." 

God's providence determines the rise and 
fall of nations as well as their territorial 
boundaries. 

God is " not far from every one of us." 

In God "we live and move and have our 
being." 

Men are the "offspring" of God— made in 
his image. 

God should not be degraded by any mate- 
rial representation. 



Paul at Athens. 287 



God "now commandeth all men everywhere 
to repent." 

God " hath appointed a day in the which he 
will judge the world in righteousness by that 
man whom he hath ordained." 

Christ's resurrection is the proof and pledge 
of the judgment. 

Paul's audience, like many since, consisted 
of three classes — those who scoffed, those who 
procrastinated, and those who believed. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

PAUL AT CORINTH. 

HOW long Paul remained at Athens we can- 
not tell, but long enough for Silas and 
Timothy to come from Berea, for they most 
probably rejoined him there; and being very 
solicitous about the church at Thessalonica, 
he sends Timothy back to them with mes- 
sages of comfort and encouragement. He does 
not seem to have received any harsh treatment 
from the cultured Athenians, nor to have been 
driven away from their city by any violent 
measures; but finding the cold indifference of 
the people an insuperable barrier to the spread 
of the gospel, he turns sorrowfully away from 
them, and seeks a mora inviting field of labor. 
This lie soon finds in the neighboring town of 
Corinth, which was the city of Grecian com- 
merce, as Athens was the city of Grecian cult- 
ure. It was at this time the political capital 

of Greece, and the residence of the Roman 

(288) 



Paul at Corinth. 289 

proconsul. It was a "colony," like Philippi, 
whereas xlthens was a " free city," like Thes- 
salonica. It stood some forty-five miles from 
Athens on the isthmus which unites the Pelo- 
ponnesus to the main-land, so that through it 
all land traffic between the peninsula and the 
rest of Greece must pass. Thus it became a 
great commercial center; and with riches came 
luxury and vice, so that, as Farrar says, it was 
" the Vanity Fair of the Roman Empire — at 
once the London and the Paris of the first 
century after Christ." To this wicked city the 
apostle now comes; and convinced by its situ- 
ation and surroundings that a church found- 
ed there would become the center of a wide- 
spread influence for good, he began his labors 
with that end in view. For some reason, on 
account of delicate health, or overwhelmed 
with a sense of loneliness and discouragement 
in view of the abounding wickedness of the 
city, or disappointed by his failure at Athens, 
he was very much depressed when he first be- 
gan his work in Corinth (1 Cor. ii. 3). His 

companions had been left behind in Macedonia, 

19 



290 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

and as the best means for gaining a support, 
and also for introducing the gospel, he asso- 
ciates himself in business with one of his 
countrymen who had been expelled f I'om Rome 
by an edict of the emperor. On account of 
the frequent tumults raised by the Jews, they 
were on several occasions banished from the 
imperial city; and according to Suetonius 
these tumults were incited by one Chrestus — a 
common name often used interchangeably with 
Christus, from which it has been conjectured 
that Christianity had reached Eome at that 
early day, and that these tumults were occa- 
sioned by the Jews persecuting the Christians, 
all being classed together by their heathen 
neighbors. Among others who were driven 
away from Eome by this edict of Claudius 
were Aquila and Priscilla. Finding many of 
their countrymen in Corinth, and that it was a 
good place for business, they concluded to set- 
tle here and begin their occupation of tent- 
making. The rabbinical law required that 
every father should teach his son a trade; and 
in compliance with that law Christ became a 



Paul at Corinth. 291 

carpenter (Mark vi. 3), and Paul a tent-maker, 
which was a common occupation in Cilicia, his 
native country. Bat the hand of Providence 
so ordered it that he learned in boyhood the 
very trade that would now bring him into close 
association with these persons who should ever 
afterward be such faithful friends and able as- 
sistants in preaching the gospel, and the same 
Providence now brings him to their home. 
They are not Christians, but countrymen and 
fellow-craftsmen of the apostle. He finds 
them congenial companions; and while this 
association was a temporal blessing to Paul, it 
became a great spiritual blessing to Aquila 
and his wife, resulting as it doubtless did in 
their conversion to Christianity. Alone in 
Corinth, without a church to support him or 
even sympathize with him, he found it neces- 
sary to labor for his daily bread; but he never 
allowed his labors at tent-making to interfere 
with the more important duty of preaching the 
gospel. As he sat weaving the coarse, rough 
hair-cloth from which the tents were made, he 
doubtless engaged in many an earnest conver- 



292 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

sation with his fellow-workmen, while on the 
Sabbath he repaired to the synagogue and 
there publicly proclaimed the glad tidings of 
salvation. He was thus engaged for some 
time when Silas and Timothy, having dis- 
charged their mission in Macedonia, rejoin 
their friend and leader, bringing with them a 
liberal contribution from the Macedonian 
churches (2 Cor. xi. 9). This testimonial of 
the good-will and affection of his converts so 
encouraged the heart of the apostle that he 
renewed his efforts with greater diligence and 
devotion than ever before; and his necessities 
being relieved by this contribution from his 
friends, he was enabled to give more of his 
time to preaching the gospel. But this fresh 
outburst of zeal and earnestness aroused the 
opposition of the Jews, and finding them un- 
willing to listen to his preaching he turns his 
attention to the Gentiles. Having been for- 
bidden the use of the synagogue perhaps, he 
finds a convenient preaching-place in the im- 
mediate vicinity, in the house of a converted 
Gentile. But though the apostle had been re- 



Paid at Corinth. 293 

jected by the large majority of his country- 
men, there were a few who were converted to 
Christianity through his preaching. Among 
the number was the "chief ruler of the syna- 
gogue " — L e., the moderator or president of 
the bench of elders by which it was governed. 
This man was one of the very few persons 
whom Paul baptized (1 Cor. i. 14), and with 
his entire family was received into the Church, 
thus affording another New Testament exam- 
ple of household religion. In addition to this 
family many of the Corinthians were convert- 
ed through the apostle's preaching, and were 
added to the Church through the initiatory 
rite of baptism. For awhile the arrival of 
Silas and Timothy cheered and encouraged 
Paul, but his bold rejection by the Jews seems 
to have reacted upon his feelings, causing a 
return of his despondency, which tempted him 
to stop preaching altogether. To counteract 
this morbid melancholy on the part of his 
servant, the Lord appears to him in a vision 
with assurances of divine help, divine protec- 
tion, and abundant success. The "Lord had 



294 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

many people there " who were as yet worship- 
ing at heathen altars; and the faithful mission- 
ary, thus encouraged, renews his labors and is 
rewarded by seeing a strong church estab- 
lished in Corinth, another in the adjacent 
town of Cenchrea (Kom. xvi. 1), and perhaps 
still others elsewhere in Achaia (2 Cor. i. 1). 
In this work he was engaged altogether about 
"a year and six months," and in addition to 
preaching he here inaugurated another method 
of doing great good. The contribution sent 
by the Macedonian churches and the tidings 
brought by Timothy in regard to them caused 
the apostle to write a letter to his persecut- 
ed brethren at Thessalonica. Although this 
church was composed mostly of Gentiles who 
were only a short time before ignorant idola- 
ters, the report made by Silas and Timothy 
was, in the main, favorable and satisfactory 
(1 Thess. iii. 6-10). But naturally enough 
they had fallen into some errors which it was 
necessary to correct; and, besides, they needed 
comfort and encouragement amidst the trials 
and persecutions to which they were exposed. 



Paid at Corinth. 295 

To express his great love for and interest in 
these Thessalonian converts, to correct their 
errors, and to give them needed comfort and 
instruction, were the objects Paul had in view 
in writing his first letter to them. This letter 
stands first in chronological order of all the 
apostle's writings, and was written A.D. 52 or 
53, not long after the arrival of Silas and Tim- 
othy, who share with the apostle the honor of 
sending this initial Epistle (1 Thess. i. 1). 
Not many months after this he finds it neces- 
sary to write them a second letter, inasmuch as 
the first had failed to correct the error into 
which they had fallen in regard to the second 
coming of Christ. This error had wrought 
great injury to the Church, and in fact was 
likely to result in its complete destruction, as 
we learn from the apostle's letter. The letter 
itself gives evidence that it was written at a 
time when Paul was beset with fears and sur- 
rounded by persecutions (2 Thess. iii. 2), 
about the time perhaps when his countrymen 
became enraged against him and drove him 
from the synagogue. At first his converts 



296 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

were gathered from the humbler walks of life 
(1 Cor. i. 26, vi. 10, 11), but when "Crispus, 
the chief ruler of the synagogue," repudiated 
Judaism and was baptized into the Christian 
Church by Paul himself (1 Cor. i. 14), it 
aroused violent opposition on the part of the 
Jews. In this case the apostle seems to have 
departed from his usual custom in leaving the 
rite of baptism to be performed by others, as 
something entirely secondary to the great 
work of preaching the gospel. The conver- 
sion of the pastor of the synagogue congrega- 
tion, by reason of his high standing and influ- 
ential position, was thought to be so important 
that the apostle signalizes it by baptizing him 
with his own hands. Besides this prominent 
Jew, he also baptizes of his Gentile converts 
Gaius and the household of Stephanas, which 
constituted the nucleus around which the Co- 
rinthian Church was afterward gathered (1 Cor. 
xvi. 15). The conversion of Crispus and his 
public reception into the Christian Church 
caused the Jews to renew their persecutions 
against the missionaries; and taking advantage 



Paul at Corinth. 297 

of a change of governors, they rudely arrest 
the apostle and bring him before the judgment- 
seat. Achaia, being a senatorial province, was 
governed by a man who acted for the consul 
and was appointed by the senate at Rome. 
The name of the new proconsul was Gallio, 
and he was probably appointed to his position 
AD. 53 or 54. He was a brother of Seneca, 
the celebrated philosopher, and is described as 
a man of amiable disposition and pleasing ad- 
dress, honest in his convictions, and firm in 
maintaining them. His appearance in Corinth 
was the signal for the Jews to carry out their 
preconcerted plan to destroy the apostle, and 
at an early day they arraign him before the 
governor upon the same accusation which had 
led to his imprisonment at Philippi. But 
Gallio probably knew something of the Chris- 
tian sect, at that time becoming implanted in 
several cities of the empire, and like all the 
heathen of that day he regarded them as 
merely a sect of the Jews, whose religion was 
allowed by the Roman laws, and he declined 
to interfere in their disputes. Had the charge 



298 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

been the violation of some civil law, he would 
have carefully investigated the case; bat con- 
sidering it only as an unimportant difference 
of opinion in regard to some religious techni- 
calities, he dismisses them without a hearing. 
Thus the rage of the Jews was doubtless still 
further increased, while the Greeks were made 
to rejoice over the discomfiture of the hated 
nation, and in the quarrel that ensued Sosthe- 
nes, who after the conversion of Crispus had 
been made "chief ruler of the synagogue," 
was beaten in the very presence of the gov- 
ernor. The accusers now find themselves in- 
volved in disgrace, while the sympathies of the 
public are with Paul, who after this continued 
his labors under the protection of the govern- 
ment, and doubtless with greater success than 
ever before. Thus Providence protected his 
servant as he had promised (Acts xviii. 10), 
and crowned his labors with abundant success. 
How long after this he remained in Corinth 
we do not know, but having a desire to be 
present once more in Jerusalen at one of the 
yearly Jewish festivals, he takes his departure 



Paul at Corinth. 299 

in company with Aquila and Priscilla — those 
firm friends in whose house he had found a 
home— and sets sail for Ephesus, which stood 
related to Corinth something as New York 
now does to Liverpool. Here he apparently 
remained over Sabbath, and as usual entered 
the synagogue and preached the gospel to his 
countrymen. At once their curiosity is ex- 
cited, and they urge him to remain longer with 
them, but his plans had been otherwise formed; 
and promising to return to them if possible, 
he bids adieu to Aquila and his wife, who re- 
main in Ephesus, and again entering the ship 
he continues his voyage across the Mediter- 
ranean, landing at Cesarea, the military capi- 
tal of Judea, some seventy or eighty miles 
from Jerusalem. From this point he hurries 
onward to the Jewish capital, but whether he 
arrived in time to attend the festival to which 
he so eagerly looked forward, we do not know. 
Apparently he remained here but a short time, 
and then proceeded on his way to Antioch, 
from which he had been first sent forth upon 
his missionary work. It may be that he re- 



300 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

visited his old home at Tarsus, but the in- 
spired historian is silent in regard to it, as he 
also is in reference to what occurred in the 
church at Antioch when the great missionary 
stood once more in their presence at the end 
of his second eventful missionary journey. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

God's providence overrules for the accom- 
plishment of his purposes all man's actions. 

Honest labor is right and praiseworthy. 

Our daily labors should not keep us from 
entering the sanctuary on the Sabbath. 

Christian companionship is a great bless- 
ing. 

Earnestness on the part of Christians ex- 
cites the opposition of sinners. 

Persistently impenitent sinners are moral 
suicides. 

The noble and the ignoble, the prominent 
and the obscure, are saved upon the same 
terms. 

The most eminent of God's servants are but 
men, and need encouragement and strength 
from above. 



Paul at Corinth. 301 

"If God be for us, who can be against us? " 

Many of God's people are still worshiping 

at heathen altars who will yet be won by the 

preaching of the gospel to enter the service of 

their true Master. 

Prejudice and persecution are never satis- 
fied. 



I 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
Paul's third missionary journey. 

N revisiting the home church at Antioch 
Paul's object was probably threefold — to 
make a report of his labors in the foreign 
field, to refresh his own soul by Christian 
companionship, and to rest and recuperate his 
health; and having accomplished these ob- 
jects, although already "Paul the aged," being 
now more than fifty years old, he starts upon 
his third missionary tour, which lasted some 
four years, most probably from the autumn of 
A.D. 54 to that of A.D. 58. On this journey 
he was still accompanied by Timothy (1 Cor. 
iv. 17), but Silas most likely remained at Je- 
rusalem, where he first met Paul, and in which 
church he had formerly held a leading posi- 
tion (Acts xv. 22). He seems, after his separa- 
tion from Paul, to have become the companion 
and assistant of Peter, by whom that apostle 

sent his letter to the churches which Silas had 

(302) 



PauVs Third Missionary Journey. 303 

formerly visited in company with the great 
missionary (1 Pet. v. 12). 

Paul's object in making this third journey 
was to encourage and instruct the churches 
he had already established (Acts xviii. 23), to 
secure from them a contribution for the relief 
of the poor Christians in Judea (Acts xxiv. 17, 
Eom. xv. 25, 26, 1 Cor. xvi. 1-4, 2 Cor. viii., ix.), 
and to redeem his promise given to the Jews 
at Ephesus (Acts xviii. 21). The first part 
of this tour we are unable to trace, but he 
doubtless revisited the churches established by 
himself and Barnabas upon their first mission- 
ary journey, and visited by himself and Silas 
upon the second missionary tour. He would 
thus pass within sight of his childhood home 
on the banks of the Cydnus, while Timothy 
would mingle again with his former friends 
and boyhood companions at Lystra. After 
leaving these sacred scenes and hallowed asso- 
ciations he passes on to the churches previ- 
ously established in Phrygia and Galatia, 
which he visits " in order," and finally by some 
unknown route reaches Ephesus, where he re- 



304 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

mains nearly three years (Acts xx. 31). From 
thence he passes over into Macedonia, and 
visits the churches established there. Near- 
ly every step of the homeward route can be 
traced by the geographical references in 
the twentieth and twenty-first chapters of 
Acts. 

Some time between Paul's first and second 
visit to Ephesus there had come to the city " a 
certain Jew named Apollos." He was a native 
of Alexandria, one of the chief cities of Egypt, 
celebrated as a great literary center, and pos- 
sessed at one time of the largest library in the 
world. The resident Jews, imitating the schol- 
arship of the Greeks, studied the Jewish writ- 
ings with critical exactness, in proof of which 
we find that it was in this city and by Jews 
that the Septuagint version of the Old Testa- 
ment was made. Eeared in this cultured city, 
with easy access to one of the best universities 
of that day, Apollos became thoroughly edu- 
cated not only in the arts and sciences, but 
especially in the more important matters re- 
vealed in the sacred Scriptures; and he was 



PauVs Third Missionary Journey. 305 

not only well versed in the contents of the Old 
Testament, but he was remarkably fluent and 
skillful in interpreting its meaning. He was 
apparently a disciple of John the Baptist, and 
in this way had learned something in regard 
to Jesus of Nazareth as the true Messiah. 
The Greek word denoting this fact signifies 
"to learn orally," or by report; and the mean- 
ing no doubt is that he had only heard by re- 
port, or in an imperfect way, of the life and 
death of Jesus Christ. But finding the Old 
Testament prophecies strikingly fulfilled there- 
in, he at once became a believer in him as the 
true Messiah; and not content with that, he 
earnestly undertook the important work of per- 
suading others to accept the glorious fact. 
Although so zealous, he had only a partial 
apprehension of the truth, for as yet he "knew 
only the baptism of John." He perhaps had 
heard that Christians were baptized, but, like 
many since his day, supposed that Christian 
baptism was the same as that of the great fore- 
runner of Christ. He may never have heard 

of the baptism of Pentecost, and knew noth- 
20 



306 Day-dawn of Cltristianity. 



ing of the spiritual significance of the sym- 
bol by which it is set forth. But notwith- 
standing his ignorance of the true significance 
of baptism and of the work of the Holy Spirit, 
he was convinced that Jesus was indeed the 
Christ; and entering the synagogue, he under- 
took to show his deluded countrymen how all 
the Messianic prophecies had been fulfilled in 
him. 

The report that a new rabbi was thus 
preaching the gospel in the synagogue soon 
reached the ears of Aquila and his wife, and 
at once they went to hear him. Finding the 
eloquent preacher ignorant of some of the fun- 
damental truths of Christianity, they invite 
him to their home and turn their house into a 
sort of theological seminary for the instruc- 
tion of this man, who afterward became an 
earnest and efficient herald of the gospel. 
Of this interesting and important work the 
wife, having more leisure perhaps, doubtless 
did the greater part; at least, the incident 
shows that she was a woman of more than or- 
dinary power and culture. How long Apollos 



Paul's Third Missionary Journey. 307 

remained under these preceptors we do not 
know, but having become thoroughly indoc- 
trinated, and learning from these disciples of 
Paul's work in Corinth, of the hopefulness of 
the field, and of their need of preaching, he 
determines to go to their aid. To assist him 
in this undertaking his friends furnish him 
with a letter of recommendation, which would 
give him access at once to any church he 
might visit, and especially to the Corinthian 
church, of which Aquila and his wife were 
doubtless still members. He no doubt re- 
ceived a cordial welcome from the Corinthian 
Christians, and, through the grace of God aid- 
ing and supplementing his labors, was of great 
assistance to them, especially in confounding 
their Jewish adversaries, whom he met in pub- 
lic debate. His great learning and intimate 
acquaintance with the Bible made him a for- 
midable antagonist; and by comparing the 
Messianic prophecies with their manifest ful- 
fillment in the life and death of Christ, he was 
instrumental in converting large numbers of 
the Jews to Christianity, as shown by the fact 



308 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

that afterward many of the church desired to 
make him the leader of a faction (1 Cor. i. 12, 
iii. 4-6). Thus his work in Corinth was pro- 
ductive of both good and evil to the Church; 
and to heal the schism Paul found it necessary 
to write them a long letter. But Apollos was 
not the cause of this schism — he was merely 
the innocent occasion of it. 

While the eloquent Alexandrian is preach- 
ing in Corinth, Paul and Timothy arrive at 
Ephesus, the most important city of Asia Mi- 
nor, and the chief emporium of trade in the 
East. It was the seat of wealth, culture, and 
luxury, and especially celebrated for its Temple 
of Diana, one of the " seven wonders of the 
world." Through the preaching of Apollos, 
perhaps, some of the Ephesian Jews had been 
converted to Christianity; but the preacher 
himself being ignorant of some of the leading 
doctrines, they received only a partial knowl- 
edge of the truth. When Paul came and 
learned from Aquila and Priscilla of the igno- 
rance of Apollos in regard to the significance 
of baptism and the work of the Holy Ghost, 



Paul's Third Missionary Journey. 309 

he at once — concluding that his converts must 
also be ignorant of them— catechised them in 
regard to these important matters. As Jews 
they must have known something about the 
Holy Ghost from the teachings of the Old 
Testament, but they knew nothing about his 
work as symbolized by baptism. Christ com- 
manded his disciples to baptize "into the 
name" (.&$ T( > Qvopa) of the Trinity, but these 
disciples had received only the "baptism of 
John." Carefully explaining the difference 
between John's baptism and Christian bap- 
tism, Paul administers the ordinance in the 
name of Christ; and laying his hands upon 
them, in accordance with apostolic custom, 
they were indued with the Holy Ghost and 
endowed with supernatural gifts, just as their 
brethren were on the day of Pentecost when 
Peter commanded them all to be baptized re- 
gardless of John's baptism. It has been con- 
jectured that these men were Gentiles on ac- 
count of their ignorance of the Holy Spirit, 
but nothing is known of either their previous 
or subsequent history. 



310 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

To edify and develop Christians is as im- 
portant as to convert sinners. 

The faithful preacher delights to visit his 
former fields of labor. 

A man may be a true disciple, and yet be 
entirely ignorant of many important truths of 
the gospel. 

Fervor of spirit and culture of mind com- 
bined make an efficient preacher. 

Private Christians may do an important 
work for Christ. 

Many Christians live beneath their privi- 
leges. 

A man "mighty in the Scriptures" makes a 
formidable antagonist for infidelity. 

The Messianic prophecies unless fulfilled 
in Jesus of Nazareth have never been fulfilled, 
and never can be. 

Christ's life and death exactly tally with 
Old Testament prophecies concerning the Mes- 
siah. 

A man's work and influence go on long after 
he has passed away. 



PauVs Third Missionary Journey. 311 

John's baptism was not Christian baptism, 
and therefore can determine nothing as to the 
mode in which this ordinance should be ad- 
ministered. 

The personality and work of the Holy Spirit 
are fundamental truths. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

PAUL AT EPHES US. 

ALTHOUGH no mention is made of Aquila 
and his wife in the inspired history, yet 
it is highly probable that Paul again found a 
home with these friends upon his arrival in 
Ephesus, and it may be a second time engaged 
with them in the w r ork of tent-making; for in 
his address to the Ephesian elders at a later 
day he tells them that he had provided for 
himself and companions with the labor of his 
own hands (Acts xx. 34). Thus his life in 
Corinth is re-enacted, for after the labors of 
the week he enters the synagogue on Sabbath, 
and there preaches the gospel to his country- 
men, seeking both by doctrine and exhortation 
to set forth the true nature of Christ's king- 
dom. In this work he continued for " three 
months," and, as elsewhere, his preaching was 
attended by a twofold result. Some believed, 

but others were "hardened and believed not,' 3 

(312) 



Paid at Ejiliesns. 313 

and as a natural consequence they maligned 
and slandered the gospel that condemned their 
sins, as sinners have continued to do in every 
age of the world. Finding his deluded coun- 
trymen unwilling longer to listen to him, the 
earnest old missionary again turns reluctantly 
away from them and preaches to the Gentiles. 
Taking his disciples with him, he soon finds a 
suitable place for preaching in a building oc- 
cupied as a school-house, the proprietor of 
which was doubtless one of the converts. This 
arrangement was so satisfactory that he con- 
tinued it for " tw T o years " or more. His entire 
stay in Ephesus covered a period of three 
years (Acts xx. 31), and during that long time 
he not only preached publicly, but "from 
house to house," with such earnestness and 
success that the whole province was evangel- 
ized and several of "the seven churches of 
Asia " were organized, either by the apostle 
in person, or under his supervision (Col. 
iv. 13-16). Some forty years after this 
Pliny, in his famous letter to the Emperor 
Trajan, bears testimony that strikingly con- 



314 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

firms the statement made by the inspired his- 
torian, for he speaks of great numbers of all 
ages and classes, both in the cities and coun- 
try districts of the neighboring province of 
Bithynia, who were Christians. Ephesus was 
a center of superstition and witchcraft, and as 
Moses was indued with power to counteract 
and overcome the influence of the Egyptian 
sorcerers, so Paul was here given miraculous 
power to confound these superstitious Ephe- 
sians. The character of these miracles was 
peculiar in that neither the personal agency 
nor even the personal presence of the apostle 
was necessary to their performance. A heal- 
ing influence seemed to emanate from his very 
person and communicate itself to articles of 
dress, by means of which it was conveyed from 
place to place; and many diseased persons, as 
well as many demoniacs, were thus restored to 
health. Here, as elsewhere, the demoniac is 
carefully distinguished from other invalids, 
thereby showing that he was not the victim of 
mere physical or mental disease. Some of the 
Ephesians were no doubt won to Christ by 



Paul at Ephesus. 315 

means of these divine testimonials, but others 
were thereby only stimulated to greater efforts 
in their magical arts.- Among these were 
"certain vagabond Jews," who went about 
from place to place professing to cure the sick 
by means of incantations. These sought to 
give greater credit to their jugglery by associ- 
ating therewith the names of Jesus and his 
servant Paul, thereby classing the apostle with 
the magicians and confounding Christianity 
with magic. Prominent among these Ephe- 
sian magicians was the family of a leading 
priest in one of the synagogues of the city; or 
possibly he was an apostate Jew, who had be- 
come one of the priests in the Temple of Diana. 
He had " seven sons," who undertook to heal 
a demoniac by using the names of Jesus and 
Paul, but the evil spirit replied to their com- 
mand that he recognized Christ's authority, 
and was familiar with the name of Paul, but 
he repudiated any claims to power and author- 
ity that these pretenders might make; and 
having thus rebuked their pretensions, the 
man leaped upon them with all the preter- 



316 Da (/-dawn of Christianity. 

natural strength of a madman, and soon put 
them to flight. Such an occurrence could not 
long be kept secret, and it so unmistakably 
proved the superiority of Christianity to the 
magic of the Ephesians that they were over- 
whelmed with awe and gave honor to the name 
of Christ, by whose power and authority the 
miracles were performed. Among those who 
had become insnared by these magicians were 
a number of professed Christians, who, now 
convinced of their error, voluntarily burn their 
books and magical appliances. These books 
were no doubt parchment or papyrus rolls 
containing treatises on magic, and also written 
amulets, or charms, supposed to possess some 
magical power. These they bring together 
and publicly burn in one great heap; and hav- 
ing thus removed the means of temptation 
forever from their reach, they then, but not 
till then, stop to calculate the value of their 
burned property. Ephesus being a Greek city, 
it is pretty certain that the " piece of silver " 
mentioned by Lake was the drachma, which 
was equivalent to the Roman denarius, or 



Paul at Epliesus. 317 

about fifteen cents of our present coin; so 
that the total value of the property destroyed 
was between $7,000 and $10,000, and really 
equivalent to a much larger sum at the pres- 
ent time, as each of these pieces was then the 
price of a day's labor. In consequence of this 
purification of the church and this self-sacri- 
fice on the part of individuals, the spiritual 
strength and influence of Christians were in- 
creased; and sinners, convinced of the reality 
of religion, gladly identified themselves with 
the people of God, 

It is hardly probable that Paul would have 
remained three long years at Ephesus, within 
such easy reach of Corinth, without paying his 
friends there at least a short visit; and, with- 
out having any direct statement of the fact, we 
gather from his letters to that church (2 Cor. 
xii. 14-21, xiii, 1, 2) that he did make such a 
visit, and found his converts in a fearful state 
of degeneracy (2 Cor, ii. 1, xii. 21). This vis- 
it was most probably a very short one, but it 
revealed to him the true condition of the 
church, a report of which had perhaps 



318 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

reached him through others. He at first tries 
kindness and conciliation, in the hope of thus 
reaching the offenders and winning them back 
from their wanderings; but he soon finds that 
such mild measures are not sufficient, and he 
writes them a short letter, which has not been 
preserved, in which he directs them to excom- 
municate the offenders (1 Cor. v. 9-12). About 
this time two of the apostle's companions un- 
dertake a journey to Macedonia, and it was 
perhaps by one of these that the letter was 
sent. One of them was Timothy, the well- 
known friend of Paul, and the other Erastus, 
who most probably held some important office 
in Corinth, and was returning home (Bom. 
xvi. 23, 2 Tim. iv. 20). In the meantime 
members of a prominent Corinthian family 
visit Ephesus and give the apostle an account 
of the schism and other troubles in their 
church (1 Cor. i. 11), and not long after mes- 
sengers arrive bearing an answer to the short 
letter he had hurriedly sent by Erastus. The 
church claims to be ignorant of the apostle's 
meaning, and asks -an explanation of several 



Paul at Ephesus. 319 

things referred to in the letter. To explain 
the perplexing questions, to heal the schism 
in the church, and to elevate its degenerate 
members to a higher plane of spiritual life and 
Christian experience, were therefore the objects 
the apostle had in writing what is known as 
the " First Epistle to the Corinthians." It 
was written from Ephesus A,D, 57, a short 
time before Paul left the city on his tour 
through Macedonia, After sending this letter 
perhaps by the hand of some of his former 
converts in, Corinth (1 Cor. xvi, 17), he tarries 
awhile longer in Ephesus (1 Cor, xvi, 8, 9) in 
order to avail himself of the opportunity of 
preaching to the immense multitudes that 
assembled in the city to attend the famous 
Ephesian games in honor of Diana, This 
goddess was the tutelary divinity of Ephesus, 
and the magnificent temple erected in her 
honor was its crowning glory, and has ever 
been regarded aa one of the '* seven wonders 
of the world," Numerous " shrines," or small 
models of this temple, were manufactured to 
meet the superstitious, fancies and idolatrous 



320 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

tastes of the multitudes who flocked to the 
city to engage in the annual festivities held in 
honor of the goddess. Thus an important 
trade had sprung up, and the makers and vend- 
ers of these miniature temples and images 
were growing rich. But as the preaching of 
Paul resulted in converting the people to 
Christianity it destroyed superstition, and so 
hindered their prosperity that their success 
decreased just in proportion as that of the 
apostle increased. Naturally, therefore, they 
watched him with a jealous eye; and taking 
advantage of the occasion when the city was 
thronged with visitors, they raise a riot and 
soon gather a mob for the purpose of destroy- 
ing the hated preacher. The instigator of 
this riot was a man named Demetrius, w r ho 
was a manufacturer and wholesale dealer in 
these silver shrines, which were so eagerly 
purchased by the numerous worshipers of 
Diana as memorials of their visit to Ephesus. 
Calling together the artisans who made the 
images, and who received lucrative wages for 
their labor, he shows them how the growth of 



Paul at Ephesus. 321 

Christianity would diminish their gains and 
destroy their occupation. He thus adroitly 
appeals to their selfishness by showing how 
their w r orldly interests are involved. This he 
does by declaring that the apostle's preaching 
was constantly diminishing the number of 
Diana's worshipers not only in Ephesus, but 
throughout all Asia; and hereby this enemy 
of Christianity bears striking testimony to the 
success of the gospel and the ceaseless la- 
bors of the grand old missionary. This rapid 
spread of the gospel was manifestly injurious 
to the material interests of Demetrius and his 
fellow-craftsmen; for as men became Chris- 
tians and ceased to worship Diana they ceased 
to attend her annual festivities and to pur- 
chase the models of her temple and image 
from the manufacture and sale of which these 
men derived their wealth. 

Having thus aroused the selfish interests of 
his auditors, the shrewd silversmith next ap- 
peals to their pride and religious sentiment 
by showing how their goddess would be dis- 
honored and her worship neglected unless the 
21 



322 Day 'dawn of Christianity. 

growth of Christianity was arrested. The 
whole month of May was spent in festivities 
in honor of Diana, and the city was now filled 
with visitors from all parts of Asia, so that 
the present was the harvest-time of Demetrius 
and his fellow-craftsmen, and hence any fall- 
ing off in their trade would be at once keenly 
felt. The words of the avaricious silversmith 
were an unconscious prophecy of what has since 
occurred; for to-day the "goddess Diana is 
despised " and her " magnificence destroyed." 
But they were intended by him to arouse his 
companions in trade — and they had the de- 
sired effect; for so intense did their excitement 
become that they rushed into the streets and 
for a considerable time made the city echo 
and re-echo with the wild and clamorous cry, 
" Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" The 
shrine-sellers, maddened at the prospect of 
losing their gains, were still further excited 
by the oaths and curses of their workmen be- 
cause of the supposed reduction in wages, or 
perhaps loss of employment altogether; and as 
they hurried forth into the streets full of rage, 



Paid at Epliesus. 323 

to wreak vengeance upon the object of their 
hate, they were joined by hundreds of idlers 
whom the festivities had drawn to Ephesus, 
until "the whole city was filled with confu- 
sion." The mob no doubt went directly to the 
house of Aquila in search of Paul, but failing 
to find him they wreak their vengeance upon 
his friends (Rom. xvi. 4-23, Acts xx. 4, xxvii. 
2, 1 Cor. i. 14, Col. iv. 10, Phil. ii. 4), and 
drag them into the " theater " — an immense un- 
roofed inclosure, with tiers of stone seats vari- 
ously estimated as capable of accommodating 
from twenty-five thousand to fifty thousand 
people. Finding his friends thus exposed to 
danger, Paul, with his usual chivalrous court- 
esy and courage, sought to share it, and if pos- 
sible extricate them from it; but some of his 
Ephesian converts, fully understanding the 
spirit and feelings of their enraged country- 
men, protested against such needless exposure; 
and in this protest some of the city officials 
joined. 

Ten men called "Asiarchs" were chosen an- 
nually from the rich and great, whose official 



324 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

duty it was to superintend and bear the ex- 
pense of the games and festivals held in honor 
of the emperor and the gods. Some of these 
officers were personal friends of Paul, and 
perhaps secret Christians, for his gentlemanly 
bearing secured for him friends among all 
classes, and everywhere won the respect of 
those in official positions with whom he was 
brought in contact (Acts xiii. 7-12, xxiv. 10- 
25, xiv. 26, xxvii. 43). These Asiarchs evi- 
dently knew where he was concealed at this 
time, and perhaps had themselves aided him 
to escape the fury of the mob. They now 
send him a message to keep away from the 
theater, well knowing that he would be killed 
unless he did so. In the meantime the ex- 
cited crowd gathered around the prisoners in 
the theater, and "some cried one thing and 
some another," for, mob-like, many of them 
were altogether ignorant of the cause of the 
riot. The Jews, fearing that they would be 
confounded with the Christians, and that the 
rioters would thus wreak vengeance upon them, 
sought to explain the difference between the 



Paul at Ephesus. 325 

two sects, and for this purpose selected one of 
their number who was possibly himself a 
" workman of like occupation " with Demetri- 
us (2 Tim. iv. 14), and supposed to have in- 
fluence with him. But no sooner did he at- 
tempt to speak than his foreign accent, his 
unmistakable features, and his characteristic 
dress betrayed the nationality of the hated 
Jew, and instead of quelling his presence only 
increased the excitement of the mob, which 
broke forth in one prolonged, clamorous cry, 
"Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" which 
was not only an expression of attachment to 
the goddess, but according to heathen ideas 
was itself an act of worship (1 Kings xviii. 26, 
Matt. vi. 7). At last a reaction came in the 
excitement of the mob, and they were willing 
to listen to words of counsel from one of the 
chief officials of the city. He was the keeper 
of the public archives and president of all 
public gatherings, so that perhaps no one was 
so well fitted to quell the riot. He was a man 
of influence both officially and personally as 
shown by his speech, which is a model of calm 



326 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

argument and judicious tact. According to 
their traditions the image of Diana fell from 
the home of Jupiter, the chief of their deities. 
After alluding to this fact the cool-headed 
" town clerk " asserts that the attachment of 
the Ephesians for the worship of their god- 
dess was too great and too well known to 
be abandoned under any circumstances, and 
hence the folly of the mob in supposing that 
a few insignificant strangers could overthrow 
it. This conciliatory argument was still fur- 
ther strengthened by a reference to the well- 
known character and conduct of the missiona- 
ries; for Paul and his associates were uniform- 
ly courteous, and won their converts not by 
rude invective or violent denunciation, but by 
a kind yet positive presentation of the truth. 
Another evidence of the folly of the course 
pursued by the mob was found in the fact that 
courts had been established for the very pur- 
pose of considering just such cases as the one 
presented by Demetrius, and were in session 
at that very moment, as the language of the 
"town clerk " seemed to imply. All that was 



Paul at Ephesus. 327 



necessary was for the complainants to make a 
formal accusation and the defendants to put in 
a rejoinder and proceed with a regular trial; or, 
if the matter was of such a public nature that 
it could not be settled by a private lawsuit, 
they had only to appeal to the proconsul, and 
he was ready to call a "lawful assembly; " so 
that in either case the course that had been 
pursued was both unnecessary and dangerous, 
for the Roman law, to which they were subject, 
made such conduct a capital offense, and they 
were liable to be called before the Roman au- 
thorities to answer for these riotous proceed- 
ings, with the possibility that they might 
thereby lose their lives, or at any rate their 
liberty. Having brought his argument to a 
climax and tranquilized the crowd, the discreet 
"town clerk" formally dismisses the motley 
multitude, and in a little while the theater is 
empty, God having thus used the eloquence 
of this Greek magistrate to protect his servant. 
The danger being now over, Paul comes forth 
from his place of concealment; and after as- 
suring himself of the safety of the church, he 



328 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

gives them his farewell salutation and begins 
his journey to Macedonia. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

Ministers should preach the gospel "bold- 
ly " and confidently. 

Religion is reasonable, and admits of argu- 
mentation. 

In all their preaching ministers should 
" reason persuasively." 

Men are hardened by resisting the influence 
of the truth and disobeying known duty. 

Those who resist the gospel usually " speak 
evil" of it. 

Public controversy with the avowed enemies 
of the gospel is rarely profitable. 

The influence of the earnest worker for 
Christ extends beyond the scene of his labors 
in an ever widening circle. 

"When occasion requires it God can w T ork 
"special miracles" to confound and convince 
the enemies of his cause. 

In every age of the world there have been 
those who have attempted to counterfeit Chris- 
tianity. 



Paul at Ephesus. 329 

The devils recognize the power and author- 
ity of Jesus. 

True faith and sincere repentance lead to 
the confessing and forsaking of sin. 

Men may be true Christians, though guilty 
of many faults and follies. 

The confession of sin should be as public as 
its commission. 

When true Christians become convinced 
that certain conduct is wrong they will give 
it up. 

In the sight of a truly converted man, the 
possession of property is but a secondary con- 
sideration when compared with that of a good 
conscience. 

When the Church is purified, then "might- 
ily grows the word of God and prevails." 



CHAPTER XXVI. 
Paul's winter of a.d. 58. 

PAUL'S anxiety concerning the Corinthian 
church was so great that shortly after 
writing his first letter to them he sends Titus 
in person to enforce the admonitions that he 
had given, and to look after the collection for 
the poor Christians in Judea. He was ex- 
pected to discharge this mission and meet 
Paul at Troas shortly after Pentecost. But 
the riot in Ephesus had perhaps caused the 
old missionary to leave the city sooner than he 
had expected, and when he came to Troas he 
found that Titus had not arrived. In the hope 
that his young friend would soon come with 
tidings that a brighter day had dawned upon 
Corinth, he began to preach the gospel with 
good prospects for the early organization of a 
church (2 Cor. ii. 12). But soon his impa- 
tience to see Titus and hear the news from his 
erring brethren in Corinth causes him to cease 

his labors and embark for Philippi (2 Cor. ii. 

(330) 



Paul's Winter of A.D. 58. 331 

13). Here it was that he had organized the 
first church upon European soil, and of all his 
converts these had been the most free from 
fault and had shown the most devoted attach- 
ment to himself. Time and again they had 
given him substantial evidence of their appre- 
ciation of his labors among them, notwith- 
standing their poverty (Phil. iv. 16, 2 Cor. viii. 
2, xi. 9), and he in turn in writing to them 
never once censures, but often praises them. 
Among these noble people he found a gra- 
cious welcome; and in addition to those whom 
he had received into the Church under such 
trying circumstances years before, he here 
met also with Timothy (2 Cor. i. 1), his favor- 
ite companion and " beloved son in the Lord." 
But the kindly ministrations of these loving 
friends could not make him forget the troubles 
in the Corinthian church, nor lessen his im- 
patience for the coming of Titus. While he 
is thus impatiently waiting he determines to 
write a second letter to the Corinthians, the 
first part of which has frequent references to 
the frailty of his bodily health (2 Cor. iv. 7 to 



332 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

2 Cor. v. 10, 2 Cor. xii. 7-9), and gives abun- 
dant evidence of the morbid and melancholy- 
condition of his mind. But before it was half 
finished Titus arrived at Philippi with tidings 
which greatly relieved the anxiety of the apos- 
tle (2 Cor. vii. 4-9), and the latter part of the 
letter is vocal with joy and gladness. The 
church had excommunicated some of the of- 
fenders and had shown the deepest penitence 
on account of their sins; but there was still a 
minority who were influenced by certain Ju- 
daizers (2 Cor. xi. 4, 7, 22), like those encount- 
ered by Paul at Antioch (Acts xv. 1, 2). These 
sought to disparage the apostle, and to per- 
suade the Corinthians to reject his authority, 
so that there is a blending of the shadow with 
the sunshine, and a mingling of the minor 
chords of sadness wdth the fuller notes of joy 
even in the last portion of the letter. Anx- 
ious that the church should receive this letter 
as soon as possible, Paul intrusts it to Titus 
and two companions who are sent back to Cor- 
inth to complete the collection to be taken in 
that church (2 Cor. viii. 18-22), so that it may 



Paul 9 s Winter of A.D. 58. 333 

be ready when he shall arrive on his way to 
Jerusalem. The apostle felt the deepest in- 
terest in this collection not only because he 
sympathized with his poor brethren in Judea, 
but because he believed that it would tend to 
allay the prejudice which the Jewish party en- 
tertained against the Gentile Christians. The 
principles by which their contributions were 
to be governed he had set forth in his first let- 
ter to the Corinthians ( 1 Cor. xvi. 1-4), and are 
well worthy of serious consideration and uni- 
versal imitation. To these principles he again 
refers in his second letter (2 Cor. viii. 12, ix. 
7), and delicately contrasts the wealth of Cor- 
inth with the poverty of the Macedonians, 
whose generosity was already conspicuous. 
Their contributions were no niggardly gifts 
wrung from covetousness, but they were free- 
will offerings, abundant even beyond their 
means (2 Cor. viii. 1-4); and in this liberality 
we can well believe that the poverty-stricken 
church at Philippi stood pre-eminent, as it 
did upon other occasions (Phil. iv. 10, 15, 16, 
2 Cor. xi. 9). 



334 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

After the departure of Titus, Paul continued 
to preach to the churches in Macedonia, glad- 
ly availing himself of the opportunity of pre- 
senting more fully the doctrines of grace in 
those places from which he had been driven 
by persecution during his former visit. But 
not content with this semi-pastoral work, he 
resumes his missionary labors and pushes out 
into the interior as far as Illyricum (Rom. xv. 
19). How long he continued this evangelistic 
work we do not know, but at last the time ar- 
rived when he thought it prudent to visit his 
inconsistent and rebellious converts at Corinth. 
For many long months their dissensions and 
corruptions had weighed heavily upon his 
mind and heart, and in fact it was doubtless 
this burdensome "care of all the churches" 
and the anxious solicitude which they occa- 
sioned him that caused in large measure his 
mental depression and great physical frailty. 
Winter had already set in before he reached 
the great commercial metropolis, and as he 
approached the well-known harbor the gloomy 
season doubtless harmonized with his own 



PauVs Winter of A.D. 58. 335 

feelings. He painfully realized that he was 
returning to friends who had forgotten his love 
and to enemies who disparaged his office. But 
he was conscious of apostolic authority, and he 
determined to purify the Church at all haz- 
ards. It is true that a few of the Corinthian 
converts had remained faithful — e. </., Erastus, 
the city treasurer; Stephanas, the first convert; 
Fortunatus and Achaicus, who had visited 
him in Ephesus; and Gaius, whose hospitable 
home now stood ready to welcome him — but 
the majority had not " walked worthy of their 
high vocation" by any means. As he enters 
the house of Gaius (Rom. xvi. 23) with a 
heart filled with conflicting emotions, he finds 
new trouble awaiting him. Intelligence had 
lately reached Corinth that his converts in 
Galatia, for whom he had entertained a pecul- 
iar affection, and whose love for him had ever 
been so conspicuous, were forsaking his teach- 
ings and yielding to the proselyting influences 
of those Judaizing teachers who had already 
wrought so much evil in the churches, and who 
seemed determined to counteract if possible 



336 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

the apostle's influence by making his converts 
observe the rites and ceremonies of the Jews. 
It was to crush out the influence of these ad- 
versaries that he had come to Corinth, and 
now he learns that they are busy sowing the 
seeds of discord in the very church where he 
had least expected their presence. To fore- 
stall their efforts, he at once writes a letter to 
the Galatians, which begins with an abrupt- 
ness and severity that show his sense of their 
great danger and breathes a spirit of sadness 
such as one would naturally feel when writing 
to fickle and faithless friends. This defection 
among the Galatians doubtless made Paul 
more anxious than ever to purify the church 
at Corinth, and in the exercise of his apostolic 
authority he excommunicates the offenders, 
and seeks both by warning and entreaty to 
heal the dissensions which had so long existed 
and had caused so much evil. In this work 
he was engaged some three months, and while 
thus engaged a prominent member of the 
neighboring church of Cenchrea undertakes a 
journey to Rome for the purpose of transact- 



Paul's Winter of A.D. 58. 337 

ing some private business (Rom. xvi.'l), and 
at once lie determines to avail himself of the 
opportunity of sending a letter to his brethren 
in the imperial city whom he had so long de- 
sired to visit (Rom. i. 13). The immediate 
object he had in writing was to prepare them 
for a visit, which he now hoped soon to make. 
The founder of this church is unknown, but 
the character of its members was exceptionally 
good (Bom. i. 8, xv. 14), and many of them 
were personal friends of the apostle (Rom. xvi. 
3-15), especially Aquila and his wife, with 
whom he had so long labored, and who had 
some time before this returned to their former 
home. To unfold the great doctrine of justi- 
fication by faith, and the kindred doctrines 
which cluster around it and grow out of it, was 
the object of this the grandest and most im- 
portant of all Paul's letters. Thus four of the 
most interesting and important of the Epistles 
are associated with Corinth; two of them (1 
and 2 Corinthians) were written to the church 
at that place, and two ot 1 rs (Galatians and 

Romans) were written during the apostle's so- 
22 



338 Day-daivn of Christianity. 

journ tliere, and all were written within a few 
months of each other, A.D. 57 and 58. Hav- 
ing completed his work in the church and se- 
cured their contribution, Paul's purpose was to 
sail in the early spring directly for Syria; but 
learning of a plot on the part of his Jewish 
enemies to take his life, he changed his plans 
and departed by another route into Macedonia, 
accompanied by several brethren who went as 
representatives of their churches, having in 
charge the collection that had been secured 
for the Christians in Judea (Acts xx. 4). 
These all pass on as far as Troas, while Paul 
remains for a few days with his friends at 
Philippi, where he is rejoined by Luke, his 
former companion and friend, who henceforth 
accompanies him in all his journeys, even to 
Rome, as his constant use of the first person 
u we " clearly shows. It is possible that Luke, 
who had been left in charge of the church at 
Philippi when Paul and Silas had been driven 
away by persecution, may have continued as 
its pastor until now, so that a little time was 
necessary to enable him to make his prepara- 



Paul's Winter of A.D. 58. 339 

tions for leaving a people with whom he had 
been so long associated, or the delay might 
have been occasioned by the delicate health of 
the apostle, who tarried here that he might 
receive medical treatment at the hands of "the 
beloved physician." At any rate, immediately 
after the Passover feast they sailed from Phi- 
lippi, and on account of contrary winds, per- 
haps, were "five days" in reaching Troas, 
whereas they had previously made the same 
voyage in two (Acts rri, 11, 12). This was 
the third time the old missionary had visited 
this celebrated city, and he avails himself of 
the opportunity of strengthening and encour- 
aging the church which he had partially or- 
ganized during his previous visit a few months 
before. The ship in which they had embarked 
remained here " seven days," and the mission- 
aries doubtless made diligent use of this short 
time. On Sabbath the little company of dis- 
ciples met in an ** upper chamber " to celebrate 
the sacrament of the Lord's Supper and to 
hear the gospel from the mouth of the great 
preacher. Knowing that he must leave them 



340 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

on the morrow, both preacher and people were 
so deeply interested that they not only spent 
the greater part of the day in religious wor- 
ship, but prolonged the services until " mid- 
night." Luke, as an eye-witness, minutely de- 
scribes the appearance of the room in which 
the congregation assembled, as it was indelibly 
photographed upon his memory by the scenes 
witnessed that night. The upper chamber 
was commonly the chief room in ancient 
houses, and was used as a reception-room or 
guest-chamber; and on this occasion it was 
doubtless furnished by some disciple for the 
accommodation of his friends, where they 
might not only hear the gospel preached, but 
might spend awhile in social intercourse with 
the apostle. The room was crowded, and seats 
being difficult to obtain some of the audience 
sat in the open windows. As the night wore 
on one young man fell asleep, and, losing his 
balance, fell from the third story of the build- 
ing to the ground below, and was instantly 
killed. As the crowd gathered around the 
lifeless form, giving vent to loud lamentations, 



Paul's Winter of A.D. 58. 341 

Paul made his appearance, and falling upon 
the body, like Elijah (1 Kings xvii. 21) and 
Elisha of old (2 Kings iv. 34), restored him 
to life by miraculous power. The young man 
being thus restored, the company re-assemble 
in the guest-chamber and engage in friendly 
conversation with the apostle until "break of 
day." Then, partaking of an early breakfast, 
he and his companions prepare to go aboard 
the ship, which was now about to sail; but at 
the earnest solicitation of his friends, perhaps, 
he changes his mind at the last moment and 
determines to remain a few hours longer, 
which he can do by going afoot to Assos, 
some twenty miles distant, where he will again 
meet the ship. While his companions, there- 
fore, are sailing around Cape Lectum he im- 
proves the fleeting moments by giving needed 
counsel and admonition to his new converts 
under circumstances well calculated to make a 
deep impression upon them ; and then bidding 
them an affectionate farewell, he hurries on- 
ward through oak woods and by the side of 
crystal streams on that memorable Sunday 



342 Day-dawn of Christianity. 



afternoon in the merry spring-time, with a 
heart cheered and strengthened by this peace- 
ful communion with nature and nature's God. 
Finding the ship already at anchor, he imme- 
diately went aboard upon his arrival at Assos, 
and the voyage was continued southward past 
several interesting towns, until at the end of 
three days they had reached Miletus, a town 
some twenty or thirty miles from Ephesus. 
Being very anxious to reach Jerusalem in sea- 
son for the Feast of Pentecost, Paul could not 
spare the time to make a visit to the scene of 
his long and eventful labors; but equally anx- 
ious to learn the condition of the church and 
to give it some farewell admonitions and coun- 
sels, he had taken the precaution at a favora- 
ble place of sending a message to the elders of 
the church to meet him at Miletus, so that 
while the sailors were loading and unloading 
their wares he might occupy the time in speak- 
ing to his brethren in regard to the high and 
holy mysteries of redemption. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Paul's address to the ephesian eldeps. 

THE polity of the early Christian Church 
was fashioned after that which had char- 
acterized the synagogue from time immemo- 
rial, and every congregation had a bench of 
elders who were chosen by the members to 
bear rule and administer government in the 
church. These officers were called in the 
Greek language " presbyters." These repre- 
sentatives and office-bearers of the Ephesian 
church were the men for whom Paul had pre- 
viously sent, and being anxious and eager to 
see their beloved pastor they gladly and quick- 
ly obey the summons to meet him. The short 
distance of thirty miles was soon traveled, so 
that they reached Miletus almost as soon as 
the apostle himself. Having exchanged mu- 
tual greetings, the earnest missionary calls 
them aside to some secluded spot near the sea- 
shore, and delivers to them his farewell mes- 

(343) 



344 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

sage of comfort, counsel, admonition, and en- 
couragement. 

Four years before this he had begun his 
labors among them in the little province of 
Asia, on the west coast of Asia Minor, and for 
nearly three of those years he had been their 
pastor, so that they were w T ell acquainted with 
him. He refers to his past life among them, 
and calls upon them to attest his fidelity, not 
in a spirit of personal pride, but out of regard 
to his apostolic authority, which had been so 
severely assailed in Corinth and elsewhere. 
Paul nowhere shows any desire to be a "lord 
over God's heritage," but he everywhere gives 
evidence of his humility. He scorned no op- 
portunity for doing good, no matter how insig- 
nificant it might appear, nor did he hesitate to 
engage in manual labor whenever it became 
necessary for the success of the gospel. His 
sojourn in Ephesus was characterized by an 
intense earnestness which wrung tears from 
his eyes as he contemplated the condition of 
his unconverted fellow-men. Having thus ap- 
pealed to his friends to attest the purity of his 



Address to the Ephesian Elders. 345 

character and the fidelity of his conduct, he 
proceeds to set forth the method of his work. 
Again calling upon them for confirmation, 
he declares that neither fear of persecution 
nor desire of popularity had ever induced him 
to preach a mutilated gospel; but on the con- 
trary, studying well the character and condi- 
tion of his people, whatever truth he thought 
applicable and profitable to them that he had 
presented in public — as when he preached in 
the " school of Tyrannus " — and by personal 
appeals in private. He "shunned not to de- 
clare the whole counsel of God," thus bearing 
faithful testimony to the truth; and this he did 
to all classes and conditions of humanity with- 
out exception, realizing that all were alike sin- 
ners, and in equal need of salvation. But 
wherever he went the substance of his teach- 
ing was always the same, and the burden of 
every sermon was the two fundamental doc- 
trines of repentance and faith — the two to- 
gether constituting the sum of Christian doc- 
trine and of practical religion. Having thus 
briefly reviewed the past, the grand old hero 



346 Day -daw n of Clwisticuiity. 

turns to consider the future, and declares to 
his friends the sense of duty under which he 
leaves them. He asserts his ignorance of the 
future as to its details, but he knew in general 
that it was filled with trials and afflictions. 
Yet so strong were his convictions of duty that 
he never wavered even for a moment in his 
heroic purpose. His life was of no value to 
him except to accomplish the work w T hich his 
Lord had given him to do, and he was willing 
to die if need be, or to live amidst trials and 
afflictions, if thereby he might complete his 
allotted work. He had been " made an apos- 
tle by the Lord," and his object in life was to 
please him and to publish to his fellow-men the 
"good news" of God's favor and forgiving 
love. The figure of a race, which he uses in 
this address, seems to have been a favorite one 
with him (Phil. iii. 13, 14, Heb. xii. 1, 1 Cor. ix. 
24-26), and some eight years later we find him 
using the same figure again almost with his 
dying-breath, as the language of triumph and 
success breaks from his exultant lips (2 Tim. 
iv. 7, 8). Having thus declared his invincible 



Address to the Epltesian Elders. 347 

purpose to follow the path of duty regardless 
of results, he makes known to his friends that 
he is now about to bid them a final farewell, 
and with thrilling emotion and in the strong- 
est language he not only affirms his fidelity, 
but challenges them to refute his testimony if 
they can, and if not to confirm it on this the 
last day of their meeting upon earth. His 
language is borrowed from the crime of mur- 
der and the manner in which it is often de- 
tected, and calls to mind the words of the 
prophet (Ezek. iii. 17-21) in regard to the re- 
sponsibility of the gospel herald, which he 
doubtless had in view when he spoke. Noth- 
ing could induce him to keep back any thing 
essential to God's honor or man's salvation, 
and he claims exemption from all responsi- 
bility in the death of those who heard him 
preach. Having thus given a leaf from his 
own life-history as an example for these Ephe- 
sian elders, their beloved pastor assures them 
that his work among them is done, and he rolls 
the burden of responsibility and care of the 
church off upon them. As a prerequisite to 



348 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

successful management of such spiritual in- 
terests he exhorts them first of all to take heed 
to themselves, that they may be both sound in 
doctrine and blameless in life, for thus only 
could they be prepared to take the spiritual 
oversight of others. But responsibility does 
not cease with such personal preparation, for 
as church officials they must also "take heed 
to the flock," not merely to a few who are con- 
genial and attractive, or rich and within easy 
reach, but to " all " — absolutely every member 
of the church, and to the poor and weak ones 
especially. The first reason assigned by the 
apostle for their doing this is the fact that 
they had been called to this responsible posi- 
tion by the Holy Ghost, and thus made " over- 
seers" of the church. The Greek word here 
translated " overseers" (Acts xx. 28) is every- 
where else in the New Testament rendered 
" bishops," and as these same men had only a 
few minutes before been addressed as Tzpsapo- 
repot, or "elders" (Acts xx. 17), it is evident 
that the words thus used interchangeably by 
both Luke (Acts xx. 17-28) and Paul (Titus i. 



Address to the Ephesian Elders. 349 

5-7) designate the same class of officers, the 
former term perhaps denoting the duties of 
the office, while the latter denotes its rank. 
The great argument enforcing the faithful dis- 
charge of duty to the church on the part of 
these officers is the fact that the Holy Ghost 
had awakened in their own hearts the desire 
to assume such solemn obligations, and had 
guided and governed the suffrages of the con- 
gregation in their election (iVcts vi. 5, xiii, 2, 
1 Cor, xii. 8). But he had placed them over 
the flock jiot so much to exercise authority as 
to " shepherd " it, so that their duty was to 
guide, guard, f eed ? and act the paxi of a shep- 
herd in every particular. The second reason 
enforcing their duty to the church is the fact 
that it is the especial object of the divine af- 
fection for the purchase of which he gave his 
own life. This strong language of the apos- 
tle i§ incontrovertible evidence of the divinity 
pf (jhrisi He was "the good shepherd who 
gave his life for the sheep," for Paul's meta- 
phor of the flock is borrowed from our Lord 
(John x, 1-16) ? ajid by him from the Old Teg- 



350 Day -claim of Christianity* 

tament (Ps, xxiii,, Isa. lxiii. 11, Jer, xxxi. 10, 
Micah vii. 14). The third reason assigned by 
the departing pastor why his injunction should 
be obeyed by the session of the church is 
drawn from the danger which he foresaw 
threatening it. His long sojourn in Asia had 
made him familiar with the character of the 
church's enemies, and his keen insight en- 
abled him to detect their secret motives and 
to discover the germs of apostasy which were 
developed in after years, as attested by the 
apostle's letters to Timothy, who was then liv- 
ing in the vicinity of Ephesus (1 Tim, i. 20, 2 
Tim. vii. 15, ii. 17, iv. 14). According to 
Schaff, "the church of Ephesus, singularly 
enough, became notorious in after days as a 
famous seat of the great and wide-spread Gnos- 
tic heresy. Even in the New Testament writ- 
ings no fewer than six of the pioneers of these 
fatal teachers of error are mentioned as be- 
longing to Ephesus." Against such false 
teachers— " wolves in sheep's clothing"— the 
apostle here warns the elders of the Ephesian 
church; and he assures them that these advo- 



Address to the E})hesian Elders. 351 

cates of error would be of two classes— the 
one coming from a distance, the other origi- 
nating within the church itself, In view of 
the danger thus arising, Paul echoes the lan- 
guage of the Master (Matt, xxiv, 42, xxv, 32), 
and as a motive for their heeding the admoni- 
tion he pleads his own manner of life with 
which they had been familiar for three long 
years. Having thus delivered to them this 
solemn charge and indicated their duty in the 
future, he affectionately commends them to 
his heavenly Father and to the gracious influ* 
ences of the gospel, which in the hands of the 
Spirit are the means for building Christians 
up in the most holy faith and preparing them 
for their "inheritance among the sanctified." 
This figure of an " inheritance" is a favorite 
one with the apostle, perhaps because it indi- 
cates the gratuitous nature of the believer's 
possession, for the idea of an inheritance ex- 
cludes that of merit. Once more the grand 
old missionary refers to his past life among 
them, and challenges his former colleagues in 
office to show that he had ever been actuated 



352 Day-dawn of Christianity. 



by worldly considerations in his labors among 
them. Then, as now, covetousness was the 
monster sin of the Church (1 Tim. vi. 7-11). 
But Paul was free from it. The object of his 
labors was not silver, but souls. Instead of 
coveting the possessions of others, in the ex- 
ercise of a noble independence he had pro- 
vided for his own support and that of his 
friends who were engaged with him in preach- 
ing the gospel, especially those who were 
themselves unable to undertake manual labor, 
as was perhaps the case with Timothy (1 Tim. 
v. 23), who seems to have been quite delicate. 
Paul was no doubt a skillful workman, and 
could easily defray his expenses at his occupa- 
tion of tent-making; but he elsewhere claims 
his right to a support from the churches he 
served (1 Cor. ix. 11-15, 2 Cor. xi, 7-12, xii. 
13-16). Holding out his hands, which still 
bore the marks of toil, he calls upon the Ephe- 
sian elders to imitate his example in provid- 
ing for their needy brethren; and as an incen- 
tive thereto he quotes an unrecorded proverb 
handed down by tradition from Christ: "It is 



Address to the EpJtesi.au Elders. 353 

more blessed to give than to receive." This 
language is not found in any of the Gospels, 
but belongs most probably to our. Lord's oral 
teachings, and bears significant testimony to 
the wide extent to which his words were dif- 
fused. The principle involved in this proverb 
was strikingly illustrated in the life of both 
Paul and the Master. Having delivered this 
charge to the Ephesian elders, and intrusted 
his beloved church to their care, the apostle 
concludes this interesting conference by kneel- 
ing with his friends upon the white sands of 
the beach, and pouring out his soul in an ear- 
nest prayer for God's blessing upon them and 
their labors. Luke shrinks from the attempt 
to record the words of this prayer, but its sub- 
stance perhaps may be gathered from Ephe- 
sians iii. 14-21. At the conclusion of these sol- 
emn devotions the elders, with streaming eyes 
and throbbing hearts, bade their beloved pastor 
an affectionate and affecting farewell, accompa- 
nying him to the ship, which was now ready to 
sail, and watching him as long as the power of 

vision could discern his form upon the deck. 

23 



Day-dawn of Christian it //. 



Truths to be Treasured. 

The minister should so live that he can con- 
fidently challenge the criticism of his people. 

The Lord should be served with " humility 
of mind." 

The minister should "keep back" from the 
people "nothing that is profitable to them." 

The minister should preach "from house to 
house" as well as "publicly" from the pulpit. 

Personal preaching is usually profitable 
preaching. 

"A house-going preacher makes a church- 
going people." 

Preaching is simply "bearing testimony" 
to the truth. 

" Repentance toward God, and faith toward 
our Lord Jesus Christ," presents a summary 
of Christian doctrine and practical religion. 

Self -vigilance and care is one of the first and 
most important duties of the public teacher. 

The elder should "take heed to all the flock." 

The elder's position is one of great respon- 
sibility, because he is called thereto by the 
Holy Ghost. 



Address to the Ephesian Elders. 355 



It is the duty of the elder to faithfully 
"shepherd the Church of God." 

The Church is an object of great interest to 
God, because he has "purchased it with his 
own blood." 

The divinity of Christ is an incontrovertible 
fact. 

The Church is exposed to dangers from en- 
emies within and enemies without. 

False teachers are a source of great injury 
to the Church. 

Vigilance is essential to safety, both for the 
individual and the Church. 

The gospel in the hands of the Spirit is 
the means for the edification and sanctifica- 
tion of the Church. 

Christians should help each other. 

"Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, 
how he said, It is more blessed to give than to 
receive." 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 
"homeward bo&nd." 

AS the Ephesian elders proceed on their 
way homeward, discussing the life and 
labors of their beloved pastor among them, 
and stimulating each other to a faithful dis- 
charge of the duties he had just enjoined upon 
them, the ship with the missionary party on 
board skims swiftly over the smooth surface 
of the sea, and ere the shadows of night begin 
to gather over the earth reaches the harbor of 
a small island some forty miles south of Mile- 
tus. It was celebrated for its wines and as 
the birthplace of Hippocrates, called "the 
father of medicine." It also possessed a 
medical school traditionally connected with 
Esculapius, the pagan god of physicians, and 
was therefore doubtless of special interest to 
Luke, the " beloved physician." In this har- 
bor the ship lay at anchor overnight, and the 
next morning again started on its course, 

reaching Rhodes before night-fall, another isl- 

(35G) 



"Homeward Bound." 357 

and some fifty miles south of Coos. It was 
celebrated for its unrivaled situation, its re- 
markable fertility, and as the site of the Co- 
lossus, the chief, perhaps, of " the seven won- 
ders of the world." The next morning the 
ship again sets sail and soon reaches Patara, 
a sea-port of Lycia, near the mouth of the 
river Xanthus, celebrated for its temple and 
oracle of Apollo. Here the vessel either fin- 
ished its voyage or else was going in a direc- 
tion different from that which the missionary 
party desired; so they left it, and providential- 
ly found another ship just on the point of sail- 
ing for Phenicia. This was the country on the 
coast of the Levant, north of Palestine, to 
w T hich belonged the celebrated cities of Tyre 
and Sidon. The first of these was the point 
where the ship was to unload its cargo, and 
was distant from Patara, the starting-point, 
some three hundred and fifty miles, but the 
wind was so favorable that the voyage was 
soon made. 

So many prophecies cluster around Tyre 
that the name is familiar to every Bible-read- 



358 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

er. At this time it was neither characterized 
by that prosperity described by the prophets 
(Isa. xxxiii., Ezek. xxvi. and xxvii.) nor by 
that dreary desolation by which it is marked 
to-day (Ezek. xxvi. 14). Some days would 
necessarily be required for unloading the ship, 
and these Paul improve to the best possible 
advantage. As soon as he landed he began to 
inquire for the church which his own mad 
persecution of the early Christians had per- 
haps been instrumental in founding (Actsxi. 
19), and which he had probably visited upon a 
former occasion as he went up to attend the 
council at Jerusalem (Acts xv. 3). With this 
church the missionaries are now permitted to 
spend " seven days," and while thus engaged 
in preaching to the people the Spirit reveals 
to them the dangers which awaited the apostle, 
and they, concluding on that account that he 
ought not to go to Jerusalem, attempt to dis- 
suade him from his purpose. But he, more 
capable of interpreting the divine will, perse- 
vered in his determination and prepared to 
resume his journey as soon as the ship was 



"Homeward Bound" 359 

ready to sail. Finding that they cannot alter 
Paul's purpose, the whole church, including 
men, women, and children, accompany the 
missionaries to the ship as an expression of 
their high regard, and reluctant no doubt to 
give them up. In some retired spot along the 
beach the little company halt, and kneeling 
down upon the white sand unite in earnest 
prayer for the divine guidance and blessing. 
Having done this and bidden each other an 
affectionate farewell, the Tyrian Christians re- 
turn to their homes, while the missionary 
party re-enter the ship and are soon at Ptol- 
emais, some thirty miles south of Tyre. This 
was one of the oldest cities of the world, 
which derived its name from one of the kings 
of Egypt, and was the terminus of the apos- 
tle's voyage at this time. Leaving the ship at 
this point, he proceeds on his journey by land, 
after having stopped long enough to salute and 
encourage the church, which had been previ- 
ously established by some agency now un- 
known to the world. The voyage had been 
remarkably favorable, but the apostle still 



360 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

seems anxious lest he might fail to reach Je- 
rusalem by Pentecost, and he hurries on to 
Cesarea, about thirty miles distant. This was 
the chief Roman city of Palestine on the Med- 
iterranean, some forty or fifty miles from Je- 
rusalem. It was built by Herod Agrippa, and 
named in honor of Augustus Caesar. Here 
the missionaries find a Christian church, of 
which Philip was the pastor perhaps. The in- 
spired historian carefully distinguishes him 
from Philip the apostle. He was one of the 
seven deacons chosen by the primitive Church 
(Acts vi. 5), and, like Stephen, afterward be- 
came an eminent preacher of the gospel, car- 
rying the " good news " from place to place as 
indicated by the term " evangelist." Nearly a 
quarter of a century before this he had 
preached in Samaria and other cities. Worn 
out at last by long journeys and continued 
labors, he gave up his evangelistic work per- 
haps, and was now in his old age quietly set- 
tled as pastor of the Cesarean church. In 
the house of this godly man Paul and his com- 
panions find a pleasant home and quiet resting- 



"Homeward Bound" 361 

place after their long journey. This visit was 
of especial interest to Luke, who doubtless 
gathered much information from Philip in re- 
gard to the early history of the Church, and 
the little company of travelers linger at Cesa- 
rea beyond their first expectations, finding the 
family of the "evangelist" exceedingly inter- 
esting and attractive as well as greatly hon- 
ored of God. His four daughters were all 
endowed with the gift of prophecy; but wheth- 
er they taught in public promiscuous assem- 
blies cannot be asserted, for the term " proph- 
ecy" is doubtless used in its general sense of 
" teaching." As these pioneer preachers thus 
linger in holy communication one with another, 
an eminent prophet, whose name has already 
appeared upon the pages of Luke's history 
(Acts xi. 28), makes his appearance at Cesa- 
rea. To him the Spirit had also revealed the 
dangers which lurked in the pathway of Paul, 
and he perhaps comes down from Jerusalem 
on purpose to warn him against going there. 
This warning he gives in a very dramatic and 
impressive way by means of a symbolic act 



362 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

analogous to the methods employed by the Old 
Testament prophets (1 Kings xxii. 11, Isa. xx. 
23, Jer. xiii. 1, Ezek. v. 1, xiv. 1), In the East 
the girdle was an essential article of dress, 
used to bind the loose, flowing robes around 
the waist, and consequently was necessary to 
free, active movement, so that it became an 
emblem of energetic action ; and hence this 
dramatic prophecy of Agabus strikingly set 
forth the apostle's approaching captivity. Re- 
alizing more fully than ever that their beloved 
leader was exposed to danger, his companions 
and friends make an earnest and united effort 
to prevent his going to Jerusalem; but al- 
though his sensitive nature was much affected 
by their tears and entreaties, his heroic purpose 
was unshaken. Knowing full well that it was 
his duty to continue his journey, regardless of 
the difficulties and dangers that might be in 
the way, he declares to them his unalterable 
determination; and at last, convinced that such 
was God's will concerning his servant, his 
friends cease their efforts to detain him, and 
the grand old hero again starts forth toward 



"Homeward Bound." 363 

Jerusalem. The missionary party had lingered 
longer in Cesarea than they had at first intend- 
ed in order perhaps that Luke in his inter- 
course with Philip might gain materials for his 
history in regard to the early days of the 
Church, but more especially no doubt to rest 
and refresh themselves, finding that they had 
ample time to complete their journey before 
Pentecost. Jerusalem was on high ground, 
some two days' journey from Cesarea. At this 
time travelers from every direction were pour- 
ing into the Jewish metropolis to be present at 
the approaching feast. Among others were 
Jewish Christians from Cesarea, who accom- 
panied the missionaries as pleasant compan- 
ions and also perhaps as a sort of body-guard 
to shield the apostle from the dangers which 
they felt sure awaited him, having previously 
arranged for him to lodge with a well-known 
disciple who had long been a Christian. 
Truths to be Treasured. 
God uses commerce and the work which men 
carry on for their own interests as the means 
for the spread of the gospel. 



364 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

Wherever Christians go they should seek 
out and identify themselves with the Church. 

Children have ever constituted a part of the 
Church. 

God has given to the Church "evangelists'' 
as well as " pastors and teachers." 

Duty and danger often lie along the same 
pathway. 

No danger should deter from the discharge 
of duty. 

The will of God should be the law of every 
life. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

PAUL AT JERUSALEM. 

AT last the memorable journey, so full of 
incident, is completed, and for the fifth 
time (Acts ix. 26, xi. 30, xv. 2-4, xviii. 22) 
since his departure from Jerusalem, on his 
bloody mission to Damascus, the apostle en- 
ters the Jewish metropolis after long, weary 
months of labor and trial in the service of his 
Master. As his feet again rest upon that sa- 
cred soil each familiar scene doubtless sends a 
thrill of joy through his heart, intermingled 
with feelings of sorrowful regret, as he calls to 
mind his career as persecutor, while his pres- 
ence in their midst aw T akens emotions of de- 
light in the breasts of the Christian brother- 
hood. There were in all probability Christians 
from all parts of the world in attendance upon 
the feast, all of whom had heard of Paul, 
many of w r hom had heard him preach and 

knew him personally, so that he received a 

(365) 



366 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

warm welcome and a cordial reception from 
these brethren in the Lord. The next day a 
formal meeting of the church session was ar- 
ranged, at which the missionaries were to be 
present to give an account of their labors, and 
to turn over the funds contributed by the Gen- 
tile churches for the benefit of their needy 
brethren at Jerusalem. James, the " brother of 
our Lord," and author of the Epistle bearing 
his name, was still pastor of the church. Call- 
ing together his board of elders, they awaited 
the coming of Paul and his associates, who 
represented the contributing Gentile churches. 
These men had been appointed by their sev- 
eral churches to take charge of their contribu- 
tions, and it had been done at the apostle's re- 
quest in order to forestall even the possibility 
of a charge of misappropriation being brought 
against him. When the assembly had con- 
vened, Paul, after turning over the funds to 
the deacons of the church, proceeded to give 
a detailed account of his labors among the 
Gentiles during the years that had elapsed 
since his last visit to Jerusalem, In that time 



Paul at Jerusalem. 367 

he had established several large churches, had 
been instrumental in the conversion of multi- 
tudes to Christianity, had taken up collections 
for the benefit of his Jewish brethren, and had 
wrought miracles in attestation of his divine 
commission to preach the gospel — enough, 
surely, to fill the pious soul with emotions of 
joy — and when his address was finished the 
church united in a service of praise and 
thanksgiving to God, to whom alone Paul 
had given the credit of his success. But 
although the majority of the church thus re- 
joiced in the apostle's success among the Gen- 
tiles, there were still some who regarded all 
his movements with uncompromising jealousy 
because he undervalued, as they supposed, 
their time-honored laws and ceremonies. The 
Pharisaic elements, which had years before 
interfered with his labors at Antioch (Acts 
xv. 1, 2), and which had sought to poison the 
minds of his converts at Corinth and among 
the Galatians, were still present in the church- 
es of Judea. But in addition to these sectari- 
an zealots, who were more concerned about the 



368 Day-dawn of Christianity . 

observance of the Mosaic ritual than about the 
salvation of their fellow-men, there were many 
w 7 eak and imperfect Christians whose minds 
Avere as yet in a state of transition between the 
rigorous requirements of the law and the 
merciful provisions of the gospel. At the de- 
scent of the Holy Spirit, twenty-five years be- 
fore this, there were added to the Church in 
one day " three thousand" new members, and 
shortly after the number was swelled to "five 
thousand," which was still further increased 
from time to time, until now the church of 
Judea was very large, many of whose mem- 
bers were far more familiar with the rites of 
Judaism than with the tenets of Christianity. 
Many of these were now gathered in Jerusa- 
lem to attend the feast, and misapprehending 
the teachings of Paul, they became enraged 
against him. The charge they brought was 
false, for he had never taught the Jews to for- 
sake the customs of their fathers, but on the 
contrary had himself conformed to them upon 
more than one occasion. What he taught was 
that the observance of no mere ordinance or 



Paul at Jerusalem. 369 

rite, however important it might be, could 
secure salvation (Gal. v. 6, vi. 15), and there- 
fore it was not necessary for the Gentiles to 
observe the Mosaic ritual (1 Cor. vii. 18, 19). 
This teaching was no doubt willfully perverted 
by his enemies, and his position accordingly 
misrepresented to these Jewish Christians; for 
it seems from Luke's language that they had 
been carefully drilled in regard to it. The 
Greek verb literally means to "catechise," 
thereby indicating that designing parties had 
been diligently instilling these misrepresenta- 
tions into the minds of the people. These 
Jewish Christians were perhaps excusable for 
clinging to their former customs, for they had 
been divinely appointed. In observing them 
they imitated the example of the apostle ( Acts 
iii. 1), and the question of their observance 
had never been debated in the Church, the de- 
cision of the Jerusalem council applying only 
to the Gentile converts (Acts xv. 1-29). They 
were allowed thus to continue because the 
discussion of the question would have split 

the Church into factions, but more especially 
24 



370 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

because God himself was about to furnish an 
argument in the destruction of Jerusalem that 
would forever abolish the observance of the 
Mosaic ritual, and thus effectually stop the de- 
bate. Under such misapprehensions and mis- 
representations it was but natural that many 
of the Jewish Christians should be hostile to 
Paul; and although well aware that he must 
encounter such hostility if he enters Jerusa- 
lem, the old hero never for one moment swerves 
from his purpose — ready to face not only per- 
secution, but death, in the pathway of duty. 

Well knowing the bitter feelings cherished 
against the apostle by many of his brethren, 
James seeks to avert any exhibition of their 
indignation by suggesting to Paul a course of 
conciliation. Knowing that his arrival could 
not be kept secret, and that his appearance 
upon the streets would bring the excited mul- 
titude together, perhaps with mob violence, the 
pastor proposes a plan which had been previ- 
ously agreed upon by himself and the session. 
It was not uncommon for outside parties to 
share the expenses of the offerings of those 



Paul at Jerusalem. 371 

bound by Nazaritic vows, and thus indirectly 
become partakers of the benefits supposed to 
be derived from the vow. The plan proposed 
to Paul was that he should bear the expenses, 
which were considerable (Num. vi. 14-18), and 
identify himself with "four men" who had 
taken such a vow. Thus he would prove his 
love for the old Jewish customs and at the 
same time manifest his own generosity and 
self-denial, as it was generally known that he 
supported himself by his own labor. The 
course recommended would involve no com- 
promise of principle, since the decision of the 
Jerusalem council applied only to the Gentiles. 
To gratify his friends the apostle willingly en- 
ters into the plan proposed, and the next day 
goes with the Nazarites to the priests to in- 
form them that the time of the vow had ex- 
pired and to arrange for the offering of the 
sacrifices. This public acknowledgment of 
his allegiance to Jewish law doubtless had the 
desired effect of conciliating the large majori- 
ty of the church who were hostile to the apos- 
tle only because they believed him to be hos- 



372 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

tile to their national worship; but it failed ut- 
terly so far as their unconverted brethren were 
concerned. Even while he was in the temple 
engaged in performing the prescribed ceremo- 
nies he was rudely torn from his sacred sur- 
roundings, with the tokens of his purification 
still upon him. He was recognized by certain 
Jews who had come from Ephesus to attend 
the Feast of Pentecost; and seeing their well- 
known adversary in the temple engaged in 
such ritualistic acts, they were at first amazed, 
and then, giving way to their long continued 
hatred, they laid violent hands upon him. It 
was but natural that these Asiatic Jews, who 
had long been irritated by the apostle's success 
in Ephesus, and who had just come from a 
heated controversy with him, should be the 
leaders in this attack upon their old enemy. 
Availing themselves of this opportunity for 
revenge, they seek to excite their Jewish breth- 
ren to deeds of violence by malicious misrep- 
resentations of their prisoner. Their accusa- 
tions were wholly false. Paul had never 
taught the Jews to disparage or disregard the 



Paul at Jerusalem. 373 

customs of their fathers, nor had he brought 
Gentiles into the temple. Their accusation 
was in both respects based upon mere infer- 
ences of their own. He had taught the Gen- 
tiles that it was not necessary for them to ob- 
serve Jewish ceremonies, and his enemies 
inferred that he thereby taught against the 
Jewish people. His friend and companion, 
Trophimus, had accompanied him from Ephe- 
sus in charge of the contribution of that 
church, and as soon as they see this old Ephe- 
sian neighbor, with whom they were doubtless 
well acquainted, in company with the apostle, 
they infer that he had violated the law by 
bringing him into the temple. They do not 
even pretend that they had seen him there; 
but the mere supposition that Paul had taken 
him there was enough to excite the prejudices 
and passions of the Jews, and with violent 
hands they drag him from the temple, and 
were only deterred from killing him on the 
spot by their reverence for the house of God. 
No sooner is the excited crowd outside the 
gates than the temple guards hurriedly close 



374 Day-da ten of Christianity. 

them in order to keep the sanctuary from be- 
ing desecrated, and also perhaps to prevent 
the prisoner from fleeing to the altar for ref- 
uge; for no human blood must be shed within 
the temple (2 Kings xi. 15). Having dragged 
their prisoner beyond the sacred precincts of 
the temple, the infuriated mob were about to 
stain their hands with his blood when the 
Roman authorities interposed in his behalf. 
The sentries on the watch-towers soon saw the 
commotion in the temple court, and hurriedly 
sent a message to the chief captain of the 
garrison. The name of this officer was Clau- 
dius Lysias (Acts xxiii. 26), and his official rank 
answered to that of colonel, or perhaps briga- 
dier-general, in the United States army. His 
official title among the Romans was "tribune," 
and he commanded the Roman forces now sta- 
tioned in the fortress of Antonia, which over- 
looked the temple and its courts. No sooner 
does Lysias learn of the riot than he hastens 
to the scene of the disorder with a strong body 
of soldiers, and by his prompt action thwarts 
the murderous purpose of the mob. The 



Paul at Jerusalem. 375 

sight of the imperial soldiers and the fear of 
the rigorous Roman law soon quelled the tu- 
mult. Not waiting to inquire into the nature 
of Paul's offense, the officer acts upon the sup- 
position that he is guilty of some great crime, 
and orders him to be bound to two soldiers, 
thus strikingly fulfilling the prophecy of Aga- 
bus (Acts xxi. 11). Having secured the pris- 
oner, the officer demands the cause of such 
violence on the part of the mob, but as usual 
in such cases they could give no satisfactory 
account of the riot, the greater part of the 
crowd perhaps being entirely ignorant of its 
origin. Finding that he can learn nothing 
from the mob, he orders the prisoner to be 
carried into the barracks within the fortress. 
Disappointed, and fearing that their victim 
will escape them, the angry mob try to tear 
him from the guard, and in their mad effort 
to do so press so closely upon them that Paul 
is actually carried up the stairs by the violent 
pressure of the crowd, which gives continual 
utterance to the same wild cry that had ech- 
oed through this same city more than a quar- 



376 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ter of a century before (Luke xxiii. 18, John 
xix. 15). Rising above the excitement of the 
multitude, the prisoner remains calm and self- 
possessed, and capable of determining the best 
course to pursue. Adopting a bold plan as 
the best one, he turns to the officer in com- 
mand, and addressing him in the Greek lan- 
guage, asks with dignity and composure for a 
private interview. Astonished to hear the 
prisoner speak the language of culture and re- 
finement, Lysias at once changes his opinion 
in regard to him. He had supposed that Paul 
belonged to the low, brutish crowd, and was 
perhaps a well-known Egyptian rebel and 
leader of a famous band of assassins and brig- 
ands. To the officer's question as to his na- 
tionality the apostle declares that he is a Jew 
and a native of cultured Tarsus, which had 
been highly favored by the Romans and made 
a free city by Augustus. Having thus gained 
the attention and respect of Lysias, Paul 
makes another bold request; and obtaining 
permission to address the excited mob from 
which he had just been rescued, he at once 



Paul at Jerusalem. 377 

avails himself of the opportunity. Something 
in his manner gained an influence over the 
Roman officer, and as he stood up to speak 
this same indefinable something awed the 
noisy multitude into silence. Instantly every 
tongue was hushed, and as the well-known 
words of their native dialect fell upon the ears 
of the fanatics it soothed their passions and 
allayed their prejudices. The speaker's object 
w y as to correct the mistaken ideas they had 
formed in regard to him, but not so much to 
vindicate himself perhaps as to use the oppor- 
tunity for preaching the gospel to his deluded 
countrymen. In order to obtain a favorable 
hearing he at once claims a relationship with 
them and addresses them in the familiar He- 
brew language so fondly cherished by every 
Jew. Having thus enlisted their sympathies, 
he seeks still further to conciliate by giving 
them an account of his life, which prior to his 
conversion was but the counterpart of their 
own at the present time. He tells them that 
he is a Jew both by birth and education, gives 
them an account of his school-life in Jerusa- 



378 Dai/'daivn of Christianity. 

lem under Gamaliel, makes known his zeal for 
the customs of his fathers as he cruelly perse- 
cuted the disciples of Christ, and finally nar- 
rates the remarkable story of his conversion 
to Christianity. He then tells them that in 
accordance with his Jewish sentiments he goes 
up to Jerusalem and prays in the temple, and 
while doing so the voice of God bids him leave 
the sacred city and preach the gospel to the 
Gentiles. Up to this point the mob listened 
with rapt attention, but as soon as he men- 
tioned his commission to preach to the hated 
Gentiles their prejudices were again aroused. 
Such a reference never failed to excite the 
anger of the Jews, for it came directly in con- 
flict with their cherished idea that the Mes- 
siah was exclusively for the chosen nation; so 
when Paul intimated the contrary the mob be- 
came furious again, and would doubtless have 
murdered him had he not been beyond their 
reach. Not being sufficiently well acquainted 
with the Hebrew language to understand 
Paul's speech, the Roman officer concluded 
from the conduct of the people that the pris- 



Paul at Jerusalem. 379 



oner must certainly be guilty of some great 
crime, and ordered liim to be brought into the 
castle and scourged in order to make him con- 
fess his guilt. In a Roman barrack, sur- 
rounded by rude soldiers, stripped of his 
clothing, and bound ready to receive the cruel 
scourging, Paul nevertheless retains his self- 
possession, and in a calm, steady voice, asks 
the centurion who had him in charge if it 
was right to subject an uncondemned Roman 
citizen to such treatment. Immediately the 
centurion reports the matter to his superior 
officer, and Lysias, filled with surprise and 
trepidation, hastens to inquire of Paul wheth- 
er or not the officer's report be true. To his 
astonishment he finds that the prisoner has a 
far more honorable claim to Roman citizenship 
than himself. Instantly the instruments of 
torture are removed, and the prisoner is shown 
unusual consideration as a kind of atonement 
for the indignity he had just received; for the 
chief captain was filled with alarm, as he 
had already violated the law by binding a Ro- 
man. He was still obliged to keep the pris- 



380 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

oner in custody, since lie knew not the nature 
of his offense, and also as the best means of 
preventing his murder by the maddened mob. 
But on the following day he adopts milder 
measures for learning the facts in regard to the 
riot, and with this object in view, he calls to- 
gether the Sanhedrim, or supreme court of the 
Jewish nation. Before this body, sitting in 
the same hall and composed of some of the 
same members which tried and condemned the 
martyr Stephen some twenty years before, 
when Paul himself was a member of the court, 
he is now brought as a prisoner. Many of the 
faces are doubtless familiar to him as he looks 
around over the assembly, whose presence he 
enters with his mind filled with conflicting 
emotions as he contrasts the present with the 
past. When last he entered this hall he cher- 
ished all the bitter feelings of persecution 
which now characterize the judges before 
whom he is arraigned. Conscious of his own 
innocence, and glad that he is thus able in 
some measure to atone for the guilty part he 
took in the death of Stephen, he is perfectly 



Paul at Jerusalem. 381 

calm and self-possessed, and lie is able to study 
carefully the countenances of those before 
him. Some of his judges were doubtless his 
fellow-pupils in the school of Gamaliel, while 
others were his companions and abettors in 
those dark days when he persecuted the 
Church; and he gazes searchingly into their 
faces for the purpose of reading, if possible, 
their characters and feelings. Having satis- 
fied himself with this study of his audience, 
the apostle with the utmost dignity and self^ 
respect proceeds to assert his innocence. In- 
stead of being an apostate Jew and teaching 
others to disregard the Jewish laws and cere- 
monies, as he was accused, he declares that his 
life had been characterized by the strictest 
loyalty to the religion of his fathers; for what 
he had done and taught as a Christian was not 
contrary to, but was in reality the carrying out 
of, the true import and design of the Jewish 
economy. Enraged at the mere idea of the 
prisoner, who w r as notoriously regarded as an 
apostate, thus presuming to make such an as- 
sertion in the presence of his judges, the pre- 



382 Datjmdawn of Cliristianitij. 

siding officer commands him to be silenced by 
an act at once humiliating and symbolical; for 
according to Eastern ideas to "smite one on 
the mouth " indicated that it had been used 
unlawfully, and must in the future be kept 
closed. The man who gave this unjust com- 
mand had been appointed to the high and sa- 
cred office of high-priest by Herod A.D. 48. 
He was notorious for his violent and illegal 
acts, so that his conduct upon this occasion 
was only in strict keeping with his general 
character. Stung by the cruel injustice of 
such treatment, the apostle for the moment 
loses his self-control and indignantly replies, 
"God shall smite thee, thou whited wall," re- 
ferring to the walls of the sepulchers, which 
the Jews kept conspicuously whitewashed 
lest some one might inadvertently come in 
contact with them and be defiled, Without 
they were white and attractive, but within they 
were loathsome and disgusting, and were a fit 
emblem of the hypocrite (Matt, xxiii. 27, Luke 
xi, 44). Paul's language was not an impreca- 
tion, but a prophecy, which was fulfilled a few 



Paul at Jerusalem* 883 

years later, when Ananias fell a victim to the 
daggers of the assassins. In giving such a 
command the high-priest had violated the law 
which required careful investigation and gave 
the accused the right to speak in his own de- 
fense (Lev, xix, 35, Deut, xix. 17, 18, xxv, 1), 
and the prisoner boldly challenges his conduct. 
Struck with the apparent impiety of Paul's 
reply, the court remonstrate. To treat the 
high-priest with disrespect was both illegal 
and irreverent, and well aware of the fact, the 
apostle willingly offers an apology as soon as 
he learns who gave the command. It is high- 
ly probable that he had not seen from whom 
the command came, which is a very natural 
supposition if he was near-sighted, as many 
suppose. Others are of the opinion that the 
apostle refused to recognize Ananias as high- 
priest, since he held the sacred office only by 
Eoman appointment, and not by hereditary 
right. The Sanhedrim was composed of 
members of each of the two Jewish factions 
so long and so violently opposed to each other, 
and the apostle with great skill avails himself 



384 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

of their well-known opposition to secure in his 
behalf the sympathy and support of at least 
one-half of his judges. He was by birth and 
education a Pharisee; and identifying himself 
with that prominent sect, famous for their 
strict adherence to the Mosaic ritual, he at 
once enlists their sympathies, especially as the 
very matter of which he was accused was the 
one at issue between the opposing parties. 
The fact, too, that Ananias was a Sadducee, 
and that he had been guilty of manifest injus- 
tice toward the prisoner, doubtless still further 
excited the Pharisees, who now willingly and 
warmly espoused the cause of the apostle. 
Paul's reference to the resurrection aroused 
all the long-cherished animosity between the 
rival sects, and they became so infuriated 
against each other that they almost lost sight 
of the prisoner. The Sadducees, finding that 
they cannot convict him by formal trial, at- 
tempt to kill him on the spot; while the Phar- 
isees, for the moment more angry with their 
old adversaries than with the apostle, seek to 
save his life; so that between the two he is 



Paul at Jerusalem. 385 

in imminent peril, but is soon rescued by the 
timely interposition of the Eoman guard, and 
returned to the castle for safety. That night, 
as he lies upon his rough couch in the bar- 
rack, thinking of his perilous surroundings, 
his Master appears to him in a quiet confer- 
ence that stands out in striking contrast with 
the clamorous scenes of the day. He doubt- 
less suffered from a reaction after two days of 
such intense excitement, was still in the power 
of his enemies, and was most probably disap- 
pointed at the result of his labors in Jerusa- 
lem; so that this appearance of his Lord in 
person, with assurances of safety and the real- 
ization of his long-cherished desire to visit 
Rome, was exceedingly comforting and refresh- 
ing to the weary sufferer not only at this time, 
but also amidst the difficulties and dangers by 
which he was afterward surrounded. But 
while he was enjoying this welcome message 
from his Master his disappointed enemies 
were busy plotting how they might get him 
into their power again, that they might put 

him to death. The greater part of the night 
25 



386 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

was doubtless spent in discussing various 
plans, and not until near break of day did they 
reach a satisfactory conclusion. " More than 
forty" of them entered into a conspiracy and 
bound themselves under a solemn oath to take 
the prisoner's life. These men were probably 
some of the apostle's bitterest enemies from 
Asia Minor, who first instigated the riot, but 
they were soon joined by members of a fanat- 
ical association known as "assassins," which 
was terribly conspicuous during the last days 
of Jerusalem. To insure the carrying out of 
the plot they pledged themselves to take no 
kind of food until their intended victim had 
been put to death. Thus shut up to the ne- 
cessity of speedy and determined action, their 
fiendish purposes would doubtless have been 
carried out had they not been thwarted by the 
providence of God. That so many persons 
should enter into such a conspiracy, and with- 
out scruple propose it to the supreme court of 
the nation, seems almost incredible; but it 
well accords with the Jewish opinions and prac- 
tices of that age. Well knowing that the dis- 



Paul at Jerusalem. 387 

appointed Sadducees would sympathize with 
them in their efforts to destroy the hated pris- 
oner, they hasten to them and propose their 
plan, which was very skillfully arranged, and 
was probably suggested by some shrewd mem- 
ber of the Sanhedrim. It relieved the court 
of all responsibility in the matter in case of 
investigation, and at the same time accom- 
plished the purpose which both court and con- 
spirators had in view. The request for a 
second trial was natural and apparently neces- 
sary, since that on the previous day had been 
interrupted by the angry clamor among the 
judges themselves. The plan was to murder 
the prisoner on the way to the judgment hall, 
and then represent it as the result of an acci- 
dental tumult, while the Sanhedrim would ex- 
ert itself to appease the Roman authorities. 
Thus every conceivable difficulty was carefully 
met and provided for, so that Paul's death 
seemed certain. But the wisdom of God, with 
a wider sweep and a broader vision, was able 
easily to frustrate the whole plan. The Sad- 
ducees were perhaps the most active in arrang- 



388 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ing this plot, but the Pharisees soon recovered 
from their momentary interest in the prison- 
er, and doubtless entered willingly into the 
proposed plan; at least, they were associated 
with the Sadducees when they came to make 
their accusation before the Roman governor a 
few days later (Acts xxiv. 15). The number 
of conspirators being so large, it was next to 
impossible to keep their murderous purpose 
secret, and among others who found it out was 
the prisoner's nephew, who immediately im- 
parted the information to his uncle. This is 
the only direct reference that the Bible makes 
to Paul's family, but whether his sister resid- 
ed in Jerusalem, or whether her son was sim- 
ply there at school or on a visit, is not known. 
He was perhaps only a lad, possibly a Chris- 
tian; at any rate not a bigoted Jew, or he 
would have allowed the supposed claims of his 
religion to override and destroy the instincts 
of blood relationship. Learning of this new 
peril, Paul neglects no proper means of safety, 
notwithstanding the assurance of security he 
had received from Christ, thus proving that he 



Paul at Jerusalem. 389 

was no fanatic, and at the same time teaching 
us that while we rely upon God to do his part 
we must also perform ours. Acting upon this 
principle he calls the officer in charge of the 
military guard by which he was held in cus- 
tody, and asks that his nephew be taken to the 
chief captain for a private interview. The 
fact that the prisoner was known to be a Bo- 
man citizen caused the soldiers to treat him 
with respect, and gained for him a ready re- 
sponse to his request. This fact, or something 
in Paul's personal bearing, exerted a great in- 
fluence over Lysias, so that he was as ready to 
comply with the request as was the centurion. 
Constrained by a disposition naturally kind, 
or by the evident embarrassment of the youth, 
the noble officer speaks to him in an encour- 
aging tone, and leads him to a place where his 
secret will not be overheard by others. Thus 
encouraged and secured, the young man makes 
known the conspiracy against the prisoner; and 
while the enraged Jews are impatiently wait- 
ing to carry out their carefully prepared 
scheme, God provides a way of escape for his 



390 Day-daivn of Cliristianity. 

faithful servant. The tribune was doubtless 
greatly astonished to learn of the conspiracy, 
and dismissing his informant with a necessary 
caution he proceeds at once to take steps to 
overthrow it. Well aware that the youth's 
life w^as in peril if it became known that he 
had betrayed the conspirators, and that such 
discovery would incite the mob to extreme 
measures against the prisoner, and frustrate 
his own purposes, he enjoins on him absolute 
silence. Knowing that haste is necessary to 
secure the safety of his prisoner, he calls two 
officers and commands them to remove Paul 
from the city under the protection of a strong 
guard. That a guard of four hundred and 
seventy men should have been thought neces- 
sary to secure a prisoner against forty assail- 
ants seems strange at first thought; but it 
should be remembered that the country was in 
a very unsettled condition, the "assassins" 
w r ere numerous, and murders frequent. The 
excitement in regard to Paul was very great, 
and Lysias perhaps suspected that there was 
more in the charge against him than he had 



Paul at Jerusalem. 391 

been able to discover. Then, too, the fact that 
he was a Roman citizen made him the more 
cautious, so that altogether he was anxious to 
deliver the prisoner safely into the hands of 
the superior authorities at Cesarea. With 
this object in view he provides a strong guard 
and sends the prisoner forth at an hour of the 
night sufficiently late for the city to have 
grown comparatively quiet, and sufficiently 
early for the company to have reached a place 
of safety before the break of day. The whole 
guard, all mounted, were to go about two- 
thirds of the distance, when all but seventy 
cavalrymen were to return to Jerusalem. To 
these men the chief captain also gave a let- 
ter addressed to Felix, in which he set forth 
all the facts in reference to the arrest, trial, 
and peril of the prisoner. Back along the old 
familiar road which he had traveled but a few 
days before Paul is now carried in the lone 
hours of the night, and arriving at Cesarea 
the soldiers deliver both the letter and prison- 
er into the hands of the Roman governor, who, 
when he has read the one commands the other 



392 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

to be kept in custody until arrangements can 
be made for a proper trial. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

Evil men are ready to resort to any means, 
however atrocious, in order to destroy the in- 
fluence of the gospel. 

The Lord is able to bring to naught all the 
counsels of the wicked. 

God's promises of protection do not absolve 
men from the duty of using all proper means 
to secure their own safety. 

Man is to trust in God as though every 
thing depends upon divine aid, and he is to 
work as though every thing depends upon hu- 
man energy. 



CHAPTER XXX. , 

PAUL AT CESAREA. 

FIVE days after the prisoner reaches Cesa- 
rea his accusers, accompanied by a pro- 
fessional advocate, appear before the Roman 
governor. When all the preliminary arrange- 
ments have been made the lawyer begins his 
speech in carefully selected words of fulsome 
flattery, thereby hoping to win the governor's 
favor, and then proceeds to make a formal 
charge against the accused of sedition, heresy, 
and sacrilege. The first of these was an of- 
fense against the Roman government, the sec- 
ond was a violation of the Mosaic law, and the 
third was a violation of both the Eoman and 
Jewish law; so that the charge against the 
prisoner was a very serious one. In the 
course of his speech Tertullus makes a false 
statement in regard to the conduct of the 
chief captain in quelling the riot at Jeru- 
salem, and finds willing witnesses to the truth 

(393) 



394 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

of all his assertions in the Jewish persecutors 
of the prisoner. After listening attentively to 
the accusations thus made Felix gives Paul the 
privilege of speaking in his own defense in ac- 
cordance with Roman custom. He begins his 
address in well-chosen words complimentary 
to the governor, but in striking contrast with 
the fulsome harangue of his adversary. He 
knew that Felix had ample opportunity for be- 
coming acquainted with Jewish character and 
customs, and therefore would be able to ap- 
preciate the spirit which actuated the accusers. 
He had been appointed governor by the Em- 
peror Claudius some six years previous to 
this, so that Paul's reference to the length of 
his administration was no doubt very gratify- 
ing, since it was difficult to maintain such a 
position over such a people for any length of 
time. The prisoner, in making his defense, 
follows the line of accusation and refutes each 
charge separately and in detail. He declares 
that if he has been guilty of any crime at Je- 
rusalem it must have been so recent that it can 
easily be found out by investigation, for less 



Paul at Cesarea. 395 

than two weeks have elapsed since his arrival 
in that city. His object in going there was 
the very opposite of what was charged upon 
him, for instead of going to profane the tem- 
pl§ he had gone to worship in it, and by his 
own example to encourage loyalty in others. 
He thus emphatically denies the charge of se- 
dition, and directly challenges his accusers to 
furnish proof of his guilt But well knowing 
that if Felix undertakes a thorough investiga- 
tion the guilt of raising the tumult will be 
traced to their own door, they let the challenge 
pass unanswered, and tacitly admit the pris- 
oner's innocence. Better do that, they think, 
than criminate themselves. Having thus ef- 
fectually met the first charge, Paul proceeds to 
the consideration of the second, which he 
frankly acknowledges to be true, but not in the 
sense in which it was urged by his adversaries. 
As he had not broken the Koman law by sedi- 
tion, neither had he violated the Jewish law by 
heresy. The nation was indeed divided into 
"sects," as was well known, and to one of these, 
derisively called "Nazarenes," he belonged. 



396 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

He therefore claimed for it the same toleration 
and protection from the Roman Government 
that was accorded to the others. He had not 
apostatized from the faith of his fathers, as 
his accusers charged, but he believed the same 
Scriptures that they believed, and indulged 
the same hopes that they indulged. That the 
opinions of the prisoner accorded with those 
of the majority of the nation his adversaries 
could not deny, and they were again put to si- 
lence and confusion. Paul's religious belief, 
instead of leading him to violate either Roman 
or Jewish law, had the very contrary effect, 
for it made him careful and conscientious in 
his conduct toward both God and men, so that 
his very life refuted both the charges of sedi- 
tion and heresy; and having thus successfully 
answered these, he proceeds to consider the 
third and last charge brought against him, 
which was that he was guilty of sacrilege, or 
profanation of the temple. In order to show 
the inconsistency of this accusation he states 
that his object in going to Jerusalem was to 
carry gifts to his poor brethren and to present 



Paid at Cesarea. 397 



offerings in the temple, thus conforming to the 
laws and customs of his nation. Twenty-one 
years had elapsed since his conversion to 
Christianity, and ten since he left Jerusalem 
for his missionary work, but through all these 
long, checkered years he had retained his love 
for his people and his interest in their welfare ; 
and at the very moment he was assailed by the 
mob he was engaged in a solemn act of wor- 
ship in accordance with the cherished customs 
of the Jews, so that the charge of sacrilege 
was manifestly absurd. The Roman law re- 
quired the accuser and the accused to be 
brought face to face, but the Asiatic Jews who 
brought the original accusation against the 
prisoner justly feared such an investigation as 
this would lead to, so that their very absence 
was evidence of the weakness of their cause 
and the consequent innocence of the apostle. 
Having thus gained another point in his de- 
fense, Paul proceeds to challenge directly 
those who had brought the charges before 
Felix. The only point upon which they were 
competent to testify was the proceedings of 



398 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

the Sanhedrim; and such testimony could not 
fail to expose their own guilt and folly in 
turning the court into a riotous mob. Thus, 
with wonderful skill, the prisoner puts his ad- 
versaries to silence at every point, and fully 
vindicates himself from every charge brought 
against him. Seeing the confusion of the ac- 
cusers, and feeling the force of Paul's logic, 
Felix is at once brought into sympathy with 
the prisoner, from the fact that his long resi- 
dence in Cesarea had made him acquainted 
with the bitter hostility of the Jews toward 
the adherents of Christianity. He had no 
idea of yielding to the demand made by Ter- 
tullus to deliver the apostle into the hands of 
the Sanhedrim, but at the same time he did 
not wish to offend these high officials, and he 
simply adjourns the case upon the ground that 
Lysias, w T ho was an important witness, was 
absent. In the meantime he places the pris- 
oner in the custody of a Roman officer, with 
instructions to treat him with kindness and 
consideration. He was to have all the liberty 
consistent with prison-life, and free inter- 



Paul at Cesarea. 399 

course with his friends. He was very com- 
fortably situated, for with him most probably 
were Timothy, Luke, and Aristarchus. Near 
by were Philip the evangelist and the church 
of which he was pastor, all of whose members 
would willingly administer to the apostle's 
necessities. Then, too, Cesarea w T as the home 
of Cornelius, the converted centurion, so that 
he may possibly have been the very officer in 
whose custody the prisoner was placed. Thus, 
although a prisoner, he had many opportuni- 
ties for doing good, and we may rest assured 
that he availed himself of every one of them. 
This enforced rest was doubtless often op- 
pressive to the active, energetic, nervous nat- 
ure of the great missionary, but it afforded 
him ample opportunity for meditation and 
prayer, and thus lifted him to a higher plane 
of Christian experience than he could other- 
wise have obtained. But the two years he 
spent in prison at Cesarea were by no means 
idle and fruitless ones. He doubtless sent 
many messages, and even letters, to the church- 
es he had founded, and a plausible conjecture 



400 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

fixes this as the time when Luke wrote his 
Gospel under his direction and supervision. 
This may have been the time, too, when the 
" beloved physician " gathered from " Paul the 
apostle " and "Philip the evangelist " the ma- 
terials for his history of the apostolic Church. 
Thus important influences were set in motion 
during those unrecorded years of prison-life, 
which have continued to widen in their on- 
ward sweep with every fleeting moment, and 
will continue to yield an ever multiplying har- 
vest of rich results as long as time shall last. 
There is no evidence that Lysias ever came 
from Jerusalem as a witness in Paul's trial, or 
that the judicial proceedings were continued 
any farther at this time; but a few days after 
the trial the governor and his wife, prompted 
by curiosity, send for the prisoner and ask of 
him an explanation of the Christian faith. 
Felix was originally a slave, afterward set at 
liberty and promoted to his high position by 
the Emperor Claudius; but according to Taci- 
tus he still wielded " the power of the tyrant 
in the temper of a slave" — one of the most 



Paul at Cesarea. 401 

corrupt and oppressive governors ever placed 
by Boman power over Judea. He was the 
husband of three queens, one of whom was 
Drusilla, the daughter of Herod Agrippa, and 
the wife of a man who was still living. Be- 
fore this guilty pair, thus living in open and 
defiant adultery, the bold prisoner is now 
brought; and choosing a text to suit his audi- 
ence, he presents the beauties of justice and 
self-control in such striking contrast with the 
unjust and lustful character of his auditors 
that they are overwhelmed with consternation 
and shame. But though "terrified" by the 
graphic picture of the judgment scene thus 
sketched by the inspired orator, they are by 
no means penitent, and dismiss the preacher 
rather than give up their sins. Knowing that 
Paul was a prominent leader in the Church, 
and that his friends would willingly pay a 
large sum of money for his ransom, the ava- 
ricious governor held frequent interviews with 
him in the hope that he would offer him a 
bribe, as was very customary at that time. 

But the noble old hero w T ho upheld the law in 

26 - 



402 Bay-dawn of Christianity. 

all his preaching turned a deaf ear to all such 
suggestions, preferring imprisonment to free- 
dom obtained upon such dishonorable terms; 
and when the office of governor passed from 
Felix to Festus he was still a prisoner, left 
bound not because he was guilty of any crime, 
but in order to please the Jews. The new 
governor was appointed by the infamous Nero, 
who reigned as Emperor of Eome from A.D, 
54 to A.D. 68. The change in the administra- 
tion gave the Jews another opportunity of 
bringing Paul to trial, of which they were not 
slow to take advantage. Meeting Festus in 
Jerusalem, they ask as a special favor that the 
prisoner be turned over to them, intending to 
assassinate him on the way from Cesarea. 
This request is emphatically refused, but a 
new trial is granted; and when accusers and 
accused are again brought face to face, the 
former charges are renewed, and once more 
successfully refuted by the apostle. Although 
convinced of the prisoner's innocence, yet de- 
siring to curry favor with the Jews, the gov- 
ernor proposes to transfer the trial to Jerusa- 



Paul at Cesarea. 403 

lem, that it may be conducted in the presence 
of the Sanhedrim. But well knowing the 
dangers that awaited him if he fell into the 
hands of his enraged countrymen, and con- 
scious of his innocence, the grand old hero 
indignantly rejects the unjust proposition, and 
falling back upon his rights as a Roman citi- 
zen, appeals his case to Caesar. The jurisdic- 
tion of Festus was thus brought to an end, 
and all that remained for him to do was to 
make out a formal charge and send the pris- 
oner to Rome. But just how to frame Jewish 
theology into a charge worthy the attention of 
the emperor was a perplexing matter for the 
new governor, and he gladly avails himself of 
a visit from some royal friends who were well 
acquainted with Jewish customs to get assist- 
ance in his perplexity. These visitors were 
Herod Agrippa II. and his sister; and recount- 
ing to them all the facte in the case, Festus 
excites their curiosity to see the famous pris- 
oner. Accordingly the next day the royal 
guests, attended by the chief men of the city, 
enter the judgment hall, not to try the case, 



404 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

but to hear the eloquent orator make his de- 
fense. When all is ready the governor arises 
in the midst of the brilliant assembly, and in 
a ceremonious speech states the purpose for 
which they have come together. The object 
of the interview was not to try the prisoner, 
but to learn from him his peculiar views as a 
Christian, and he gladly avails himself of the 
cherished privilege of once more preaching 
the gospel. Though chained to a Roman sol- 
dier, and standing in the presence of royalty 
(Acts ix. 15), Paul is neither ashamed nor 
afraid to utter his sentiments, but raising his 
chain-bound hand with an impressive gesture 
he begins his address with true Christian 
courtesy. Referring to the king's acquaint- 
ance with the laws and customs of the Jews, 
he proceeds to give an account of his own life 
from the time he became a resident of Jerusa- 
lem, more than a quarter of a century pre- 
vious. During all that period he had occupied 
a prominent position — first as an apt, am- 
bitious pupil in the school of Gamaliel, then 
as a zealous member of the Sanhedrim, and 



Paul at Cesarea. 405 

finally as a noted persecutor of the Church; so 
that his life was well known to his country- 
men^ He had ever been known as a disciple 
of Shammai, a Pharisee of the strictest char- 
acter, and yet he was arraigned simply because 
he ventured to preach the doctrine of the res- 
urrection, which was one of the fundamental 
tenets of the Pharisaic school, and was un- 
mistakably taught in their Scriptures. The 
hope of the Jew was expressed in his elabo- 
rate and unintermitted service of worship and 
sacrifice, which hope was realized in the cru- 
cifixion and resurrection of Christ. This was 
the theme of Paul's preaching which had so 
aroused the anger of his countrymen. In his 
speech before Agrippa he doubtless dwells at 
length upon this doctrine in its various aspects 
and bearings, proving therefrom that Jesus 
was the true Messiah. But of this speech we 
have only the merest outline preserved. This 
doctrine of the resurrection commends itself 
to every believer in the omnipotence of God, 
and finds a prophecy and pledge in the resur- 
rection of Christ, which stands as the divine 



406 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

attestation and seal of his Messiahship. Had 
we the entire address, we could doubtless see 
how the apostle naturally and logically passes 
from considering this doctrine to the narration 
of his own miraculous conversion ; but as gath- 
ered from the recorded outline, the transition 
seems sudden and abrupt. Twice already 
(Acts ix. 1-18, xxii. 6-16) have we studied the 
account of this wonderful occurrence; but 
here we have it again, as though Paul never 
tired of repeating the story. He was always 
sincere, and he used his earnest efforts to 
crush the cause which clustered around the 
magic name of Jesus. When Stephen and 
other Christians were brought before the San- 
hedrim he gave his "vote" for condemnation ; 
or, according to the literal translation of the 
Greek, "cast his pebble," the vote being taken 
in those times by the use of small, round peb- 
bles — the white for acquittal, the black for con- 
demnation; and the language clearly indicates 
that Paid was a member of the Sanhedrim, as 
it was the only court that could pass the death- 
sentence according to Jewish law. This mur- 



Paul at Cesarea. 407 

der of the deacon seemed only to, whet his ap- 
petite for blood, and he continues to persecute 
the Church until suddenly arrested by divine 
power. The account which he here gives of 
this remarkable event omits several items 
mentioned in the other two; but it also em- 
phasizes some things either omitted or merely 
alluded to in the others. It makes conspicuous 
the intensity of the supernatural light — ex- 
ceeding even the noonday glare of an Oriental 
sun — the fact that the Hebrew language was 
used by the divine speaker, the fact that Paul's 
commission to preach to the Gentiles was re- 
ceived upon this memorable occasion, and the 
proverb which indicates that the persecutor 
had been vainly trying to stifle the prompt- 
ings, misgivings, and warnings awakened by the 
counsels of his old teacher, Gamaliel (Acts v. 
34-39), the appearance and prayer of the dying 
Stephen (Acts vi. 15, vii. 60), and the coura- 
geous conduct of the hundreds whom he had 
dragged to prison and death. Having given 
this account of his conversion, the speaker 
seems to try to compress the substance of vari- 



408 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

cms visions and revelations into one statement, 
in which he gives an epitome of his life-work 
and that of every true preacher of the gospel. 
"To open eyes" that were spiritually blind, 
and "turn men from the power of Satan unto 
God, that they might thereby receive forgive- 
ness of sins and an inheritance among them 
which are sanctified," was the high mission 
and controlling purpose of Paul, which he has 
bequeathed as a sacred trust to all his succes- 
sors in the ministerial office. Convinced by 
the vision and voice of the risen Redeemer 
that his former life was all wrong, and that the 
gospel was the divine fulfillment of the hopes 
of the Jews, the awakened persecutor yields a 
ready obedience to the commands of his new- 
found friend and becomes an earnest preacher 
of righteousness — the theme of his preaching 
being everywhere and at all times true evan- 
gelical repentance, which manifests it-self in a 
genuine turning from sin unto God, " with full 
purpose of and endeavor after new obedience." 
Like a true soldier he obeys his orders at once, 
beginning to proclaim the truth to others as 



Paul at Cesarea. 409 

soon as he has learned it himself. This he 
does in Damascus at the very first opportunity 
afforded him, and again three years later upon 
his return to the city after his retirement in 
Arabia (Actsix. 23-25, Gal. i. 17, 18). Upon 
his first visit to Jerusalem, after his conver- 
sion, we find him still carrying out this one 
controlling purpose of his life (Acts ix. 26-29); 
and finally, by divine direction, turning away 
from his countrymen, he heralds the glad news 
of salvation to the benighted Gentiles, pro- 
claiming to all alike repentance for the past 
and reform for the future. There was thus 
nothing in his preaching of a hurtful charac- 
ter; and yet, so enraged did the Jews become 
that but for divine protection his frail life 
would long since have been sacrificed to the 
malice of his enemies, as the memories of 
Lystra, Philippi, Corinth, Berea, Ephesus, and 
Jerusalem abundantly prove. In his preach- 
ing Paul made' no distinctions, but declared the 
truth just as faithfully and as earnestly to the 
illiterate and obscure as to kings and nobles, 
but he never transcended his duties as simply 



410 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

a "herald" or mouth-piece of God. Reject- 
ing the "traditions of the elders," he confined 
himself to the written word, and it was no new 
religion he preached, but the same old, vener- 
ated religion of the fathers, as gleaned from 
"the law and the prophets." He simply ex- 
pounded the truths that he found therein re- 
corded; and prominent among them was one 
which had been strangely overlooked and re- 
jected by his countrymen. That the Messiah 
should suffer and die was clearly revealed in 
the Scriptures; and yet it was because of that 
very humiliation and suffering that they re- 
jected him when he made his advent into the 
world. But it was only through suffering and 
death that his resurrection and ascension glory 
became possible, by means of which he was to 
"show light" to Jew and Gentile alike. 

As the eloquent and impassioned speaker 
thus dwells with intense fervor upon the res- 
urrection of a man who had been executed as 
a malefactor, and of the wonderful results 
which should be accomplished in all parts of 
the world through the influence of this stu- 



Paul at Cesarea. 411 

pendous fact, the Roman governor can re- 
strain himself no longer, but rudely interrupts 
the earnest preacher in the midst of his dis- 
course. Something of Paul's life, both in 
publip and private, was known to Festus, and 
his address upon this occasion only confirmed 
his impressions as to the prisoner's intellectu- 
al power; but being unable to appreciate such 
momentous truths, he erroneously concludes 
that the speaker's constant study of these pro- 
found subjects had unbalanced his mind, and 
he gives expression to his thoughts in a loud 
exclamation of surprise and ridicule. Only for 
a moment is Paul disconcerted by this untime- 
ly interruption, for almost instantly he replies 
in language of true Christian courtesy and self- 
command. Then turning to Agrippa, he ap- 
peals to him to attest the truth of what he has 
said. He feels that he can speak freely before 
the king because, being a Jew, he was familiar 
both with the prophecies concerning the Mes- 
siah and their manifest fulfillment in the life 
and death of Jesus of Nazareth, especially the 
latter, which occurred not in some obscure 



412 Day-claim of Christianity. 

province of Judea, but in the capital city itself, 
and at a time of unusual publicity, when Je- 
rusalem was crowded with visitors to partici- 
pate in the Passover. The facts clustering 
around the event, the resurrection, the won- 
ders of Pentecost, and the subsequent preach- 
ing of the gospel, as well as Paul's life as a 
fierce persecutor and afterward as a faithful 
preacher, were too well known to be disputed. 
Assured that Agrippa had an intellectual be- 
lief in the Jewish Scriptures, and that he must 
see in these well-known facts the fulfillment of 
the prophecies, the earnest preacher doubtless 
proceeds to set forth the importance of exer- 
cising a living personal faith in this crucified 
and risen Christ; and as he listens to the fer- 
vid words of the speaker the king well-nigh 
yields his heart to the persuasive influences of 
the gospel; or it may be, as others suggest, that 
with a cynical sneer he replies to Paul's ear- 
nest appeal in words of biting sarcasm and bit- 
ter irony. The Greek favors the latter idea, 
while the context and attendant circumstances 
indicate that Aprippa was deeply impressed 



Paul at Cesarea. 413 

by the apostle's exhortation; for from that 
time forth he seems to have regarded the 
Christians most kindly, and during the Jewish 
war some years afterward he received the flee- 
ing disciples into his territory, giving them 
both aid and protection. But that he himself 
ever became a Christian is extremely uncer- 
tain. After expressing the earnest desire that 
all his auditors might accept the gospel mes- 
sage, and thus share the joys which he him- 
self experienced, the apostle concludes his 
speech; and while the royal party repair to the 
luxurious surroundings of the palace, he is 
carried back to his prison, happier far than 
either governor or king.- On the way to the 
palace the prisoner's ease is discussed, and all 
agree that he is entirely innocent of any of- 
fense against the government, and thus this 
interview has resulted in his complete vindica- 
tion before the world in all ages. But his ap- 
peal to C^sar was providential and fortunate, 
for had he been immediately get at liberty he 
would doubtless have been assassinated by his 
enraged countrymen, or at least would not eas- 



414 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ily have made his long-desired visit to Rome; 
nor could he have preached the gospel there 
under such favorable circumstances. His ar- 
rival as an imperial prisoner would give him no- 
toriety, while the favorable opinion of him ex- 
pressed by the governor would secure for him 
many privileges, as we afterward find verified 
(Acts xxviii, 17-23, xxx, 31), 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

ON THE WAY TO HOME. 

HAVING appealed to Caesar, Paul's case 
was removed beyond the jurisdiction of 
Festus, and as soon as the necessary prepara- 
tions could be made, in company with other 
prisoners arraigned for various offenses, he 
was placed in the custody of soldiers and sent 
to Rome, The route chosen as the safest and 
best was by sea. Luke was doubtless one of 
the party, and speaks as an eye-witness of all 
that occurred during the voyage. In addition 
to the historian, there accompanied the apos- 
tle his intimate friend Timothy and a Mace- 
donian by the name of Aristarohus, who seems 
to have been also a prisoner, arrested perhaps 
at Jerusalem with Paul. The crew thus pre- 
sented a motley crowd of soldiers, sailors, 
prisoners, and preachers. The name of the 
officer in command was Julius, one of the em- 
peror's body-guards perhaps, who had accom- 

(415) 



416 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

panied the new governor to Judea, and was 
now returning to take his place among the 
imperial soldiers at Borne. The vessel in 
which the voyage was begun belonged to and 
was sailing for a sea-port of Mysia, on the 
western coast of Asia Minor, and intended to 
touch at various points along the coast of pro- 
consular Asia. After bidding their friends an 
affectionate farewell, Paul and his companions 
enter the ship, and as she sails along the 
southern coast of Asia Minor he could see on 
the right the familiar mountains of his own 
native Cilicia, while on the left he could look 
upon the island of Cyprus, where he first went 
as a missionary years before. At Myra they 
find an Egyptian vessel about to sail for Italy, 
and the centurion transfers his prisoners to it 
and continues his journey. But the weather 
being very unfavorable they make but little 
headway, and contrary to the advice of Paul 
attempt to go on in the very face of the op- 
posing elements in the hope of reaching a 
safe and commodious haven lying on the 
southern coast of Crete, where they intend to 



On the Way to Borne. 417 

spend the winter. Before they had gone very- 
far they were struck by a strong north-east 
wind that blew with all the fury of a hurri- 
cane, and soon hurled the ship out of her 
course. Thus helplessly exposed to the fury 
of the storm the vessel rushed madly forward, 
and having drifted some twenty-five miles, at 
last comes under the shelter of a small island, 
where the sailors avail themselves of the com- 
parative safety to secure the boat, which had 
been towed behind the ship because the weath- 
er at the outset of the voyage was fair and the 
anticipated journey short. But now the boat 
was full of water, and it was a difficult task to 
get it on board. Availing themselves of the 
temporary security afforded by the shelter of 
the island, they took down the fair-weather 
sails, hoisted the storm-sails, and taking all 
possible precautions, again give themselves up 
to the mercy of the storm, greatly alarmed lest 
they should be stranded upon the quicksands 
and dangerous shoals lying along the coast of 
Africa south-west from Crete. The night, 
however, brought them no relief, but on the 

27 



418 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

contrary seemed to increase the violence o£ the 
storm, so that on the next day they took the 
last precaution that remained to them by cast- 
ing overboard all superfluous articles, whether 
of rigging or merchandise. But even this was 
insufficient to bring relief, for the storm con- 
tinued with unabated fury, and the ship was 
about to be ingulfed in the mad waves; and 
on the third day they threw into the sea their 
cooking utensils and other furniture. But 
with all their efforts inevitable death seemed 
to stare them in the face. The long mental 
strain, the severe physical toil, the benumbing 
effect of the wet and cold, the influence of 
fear, and especially the continuation of the 
storm, filled the company with despair, with 
perhaps one single exception — for while the 
minds of his fellow-passengers were thus filled 
with horror and gloomy apprehensions, Paul 
was calm and collected ; and receiving a fresh 
assurance of the divine presence and protec- 
tion, he avails himself of the privilege of 
speaking words of comfort and encouragement 
to his despairing and half-starved companions. 



On the Way to Rome, 419 

Selecting a position where he could be both 
seen and heard, he mingles the utterances of 
his faith with the wild wailings of the storm. 
While the others were giving up to their feel- 
ings of despair, this noble servant of God was 
engaged in earnest prayer that his long-cher- 
ished desire of preaching at Rome might not 
be disappointed, and that the lives of his com- 
panions might be spared, and a messenger 
is dispatched from the courts of heaven to as- 
sure him that both requests have been grant- 
ed. Upon this assurance he now bases his 
exhortation; but before revealing the divine 
message he reminds the crew that he had fore- 
warned them of this danger, to show them that 
his words are entitled to consideration. Ju- 
lius, knowing that the prisoner had been ad- 
judged innocent by both Festus and Agrippa, 
and pleased with his gentlemanly bearing, had 
already accorded him special privileges (Acts 
xxvii. 6), and now listens to his words with 
earnest attention, as he proceeds to give them 
the substance of the divine message. Paul's 
strong faith, shining out so conspicuously 



420 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

amidst such gloomy surroundings, doubtless 
did much to restore hope and confidence in the 
hearts of his despairing companions. But al- 
though he thus assures them of deliverance 
from death, he foretells them that they must 
suffer shipwreck, and must prepare themselves 
for still further suffering and danger. 

Two weeks had now passed since they began 
this disastrous voyage, and during the greater 
part of that time they had been helplessly 
driven before the fury of the storm. The only 
ray of hope that had dawned upon them dur- 
ing that long night of despair was brought to 
them by Paul, the prisoner; but its momentary 
light had no doubt long since been quenched 
by the horrors of their situation. Now, as 
they were on the point of again lapsing into 
the paralysis of despair, they became con- 
vinced by the noise of the breakers beating 
upon the distant shore that land was not far 
off, and by means of their sounding-line soon 
found that they were in imminent danger of 
running aground in the night. Casting " four 
anchors from the stern " of the ship to prevent 



On the Way to Borne. 421 

it from swinging around and striking upon 
the rocks, and also to keep the head of the 
vessel turned toward the land that they might 
thus run her ashore, they waited and "wished 
for the day" as only men in such a perilous 
position could wish. The fact that they were 
near to land brought to the experienced sailors 
both hope of escape and fear lest the ship 
might be dashed to pieces against the rocks. 
"With the latter predominating, and under cover 
of a plausible excuse, they attempt to secure 
their own safety by means of the boat, intend- 
ing to leave soldiers and passengers alike to 
perish in the sea; but Paul's watchful eye and 
shrewd intellect soon divined their real object, 
and without waiting to remonstrate with the 
sailors he goes directly to the centurion in 
command, who had both the power and au- 
thority to stop such proceedings; for he well 
knew that a ship without sailors would be at 
the mercy of the winds and waves. Thus in- 
formed, the officer hastens to act upon the 
apostle's suggestion, and to effectually remove 
the temptation cuts the ropes and casts the 



422 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

boat into the sea; and compelled to share the 
fate of the others, the self-interest of the sea- 
men soon prompts them to the discharge of 
their appropriate duties. Having thus rescued 
his comrades from one peril by securing the 
co-operation of the sailors, the noble old mis- 
sionary proceeds to perform another impor- 
tant service by persuading the half-starved 
crew to partake of food, that they might there- 
by gain strength to perform the labors and 
endure the hardships yet awaiting them. In 
their perilous position they had neither felt 
inclined nor had they been able to partake of 
regular and sufficient meals, so that their 
strength was well-nigh exhausted. In the ex- 
ercise of a noble unselfishness that stands out 
in striking contrast with the selfishness of the 
sailors, Paul considers the comfort and welfare 
of his companions, and knowing that on the 
following day all would have their strength 
fully taxed, he urges them to eat and assures 
them of safety. As proof of his own faith, 
and as encouragement to the others, he offers 
thanks to God for his goodness and begins to 



Oil the Way to Rome. 423 

eat in presence of the entire crew. Under the 
peculiar circumstances this conduct of the 
apostle could not fail to make a deep impres- 
sion upon the minds of his heathen comrades, 
and one doubtless favorable to the Christian 
religion, of which the noted prisoner was a 
recognized exponent. Animated by the exam- 
ple and cheerful courage of Paul, the entire 
crew become more cheerful, and having par- 
taken of a hearty meal, with strength renewed 
and hearts refreshed, they return to their la- 
bors with fresh vigor and energy. Each suc- 
cessive incident of the voyage has a tendency 
to raise the old missionary higher in the esti- 
mation of the crew, until instead of looking to 
the captain for guidance, they look to the pris- 
oner. As the company gathered around the 
apostle to take their food, Luke avails himself 
of the opportunity of counting them, and finds 
the number to be two hundred and seventy- 
six persons — a large but not an unprecedented 
number for one of the large grain-ships of 
that day. The sailors had previously thrown 
overboard all the loose merchandise of the 



424 Daij-dawn of Christianity. 

vessel, and now, that it may be the more easily 
run ashore, they cast out the main cargo of 
wheat, which was doubtless already damaged 
by the salt-water. This work required consid- 
erable time, and before it was finished day had 
dawned. With glad hearts the imperiled 
crew welcome the sight of land, which is 
barely visible through the early twilight and 
the driving rain. Straining their eyes to rec- 
ognize if possible the coast upon which they 
are cast, they discover a suitable place for 
landing, and they cut off the anchors and 
make other necessary preparations for running 
the ship ashore. But these important move- 
ments could not have been executed without 
the sailors, and but for Paul's precaution they 
must all have perished. Driven by the winds, 
the vessel soon runs aground in a narrow 
channel, and a new difficulty presents itself. 
The proximity of the land might cause the 
prisoners to attempt to escape, and if they 
succeeded the soldiers well knew that in ac- 
cordance with Roman law their lives must pay 
the penalty, and they recommend that they all 



On the Way to Home. 425 

be put to death. But here again Paul's in- 
fluence saves the lives of all. So great was 
the centurion's respect for and confidence in 
him that he not only permits, but commands 
them all to swim ashore if possible; aud his 
confidence in Paul's influence over his fellow- 
prisoners was not misplaced; for after reach- 
ing the shore not one of them attempted to 
escape from their guard. Availing themselves 
of the broken timbers of the wrecked ship, the 
entire crew swam safely to land, thus verify- 
ing the apostle's prophecy. 

The shipwrecked crew — consisting of sail- 
ors, soldiers, prisoners, and passengers, nearly 
three hundred in all — thus cast drenched and 
shivering upon an unknown shore on this bleak 
and stormy morning in November, presented 
a pitiable sight indeed. But they were soon 
discovered by the inhabitants of the island, 
from whom they received many marks of kind- 
ness. The island upon which they were 
wrecked was doubtless the modern Malta, 
some sixty miles south of Sicily, near the 
middle of the Mediterranean. It was about 



426 Bay-dawn of Christianity. 



seventeen miles long, nine broad, and sixty in 
circumference. The inhabitants were from 
Carthage, and were then governed by the Ro- 
mans. The Greeks and Romans called all 
men " barbarians " except themselves, and by 
this term the historian here designates the 
natives of Malta, who received the shipwrecked 
party with great kindness. To warm the half- 
frozen seamen they kindled a fire upon the 
shore, to replenish which Paul gathered a 
" bundle of sticks " from a neighboring thicket, 
and as he did so a venomous serpent fastened 
its fangs in his hand. The reptile was no 
doubt in a torpid condition, by reason of the 
cold; but being restored to activity by the 
heat, it suddenly sprung upon him as he was 
arranging the wood upon the fire. Knowing 
that Paul was a prisoner, and that the bite of 
the asp was certain death, the crowd that had 
gathered around the mariners — reasoning from 
the original principles written upon the human 
heart by the hand of nature, that justice will 
certainly punish the guilty — concluded that he 
must be guilty of some terrible crime, and ex- 



On the Way to Home. 427 

pected every moment to see him fall dead at 
their feet. But to their manifest amazement 
he calmly shook the reptile off into the fire 
and "felt no harm," in fulfillment of the Mas- 
ter's promise (Mark xvi. 18). Watching him 
intently for a long time, and seeing none of 
the effects usually produced by the viper's bite, 
they knew that a miracle had been wrought 
which would require divine power, and they 
conclude that Paul must himself be a god. 
Their mistake was in supposing that he pos- 
sessed such miraculous power instead of re- 
ceiving it from another — that he was a god 
instead of merely " a man of God," as Bengel 
quaintly puts it. Near where the crew landed 
and this miracle was performed stood the res- 
idence of the governor of the island, who " re- 
ceived them and lodged them three days," 
until permanent winter-quarters could be pro- 
vided for them. During their stay at his 
house his father was taken very ill with a dis- 
ease which Luke, as a physician, describes 
with professional precision. At once Luke 
the doctor and Paul the preacher are sum- 



428 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

moned to the sick-bed; but the one was well- 
nigh helpless because all his medicines w r ere 
lost in the sea, while the other needed divine 
credentials to aid him in his missionary labors 
among these heathen people, and God at once 
furnishes his servant with an opportunity to 
prove that he is endowed with miraculous 
power and speaks by the authority of Heaven. 
Entering the chamber where the sick man lay, 
Paul put his hands upon him after he had 
offered an earnest prayer, and instantly the 
malady was healed. This restoration to health 
of the father of the governor soon spread from 
house to house, and induced many others who 
were diseased to apply to the old missionary 
for relief, and without exception they were 
healed in fulfillment of another promise of the 
Master (Mark xvi. 18). As an expression of 
their appreciation and gratitude, the people 
give the shipwrecked party many tokens of 
respect and kindness during their sojourn on 
the island; and when the time comes for them 
to leave the people add many valuable and use- 
ful presents, of which they were doubtless in 



On the Way to Home. 429 

great need after having lost every thing they 
had in the wreck. But this benevolence no 
doubt extended also to the needy sailors and 
soldiers, and Paul's influence in securing them 
these favors, together with his miracles, pre- 
disposed them to the reception of the gospel; 
and many trophies of redeeming love were 
most probably gathered by the apostle during 
that winter, both from his shipwrecked com- 
panions and the inhabitants of the island. 
Just as soon as spring makes navigation at all 
prudent, the centurion avails himself of the 
first opportunity of resuming his journey to 
Borne, and for this purpose secures passage 
on board a vessel similar perhaps to the one 
in which they had been wrecked, which had 
also wintered at Malta. The "sign" of this 
ship was the representation of two mytho- 
logical characters who were supposed to have 
pow r er over the winds and waves ; and a vessel 
whose very symbols bespoke its heathen faith 
in the gods of mythology the living and true 
God thus uses for the purpose of carrying his 
gospel to heathen Italy, as he now uses the in- 



430 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

ventions of art and science to accomplish his 
purpose of evangelizing the nations. After 
spending " three months " on the island of 
Malta, Paul and his companions resume their 
journey to Rome, and the ship in which they 
sail soon puts into the harbor of Syracuse, a 
famous city on the east coast of Sicily, about 
eighty miles from Malta. In this historic 
place they remain for " three days," doubtless 
to unload their cargo; but while the others are 
thus busy trying to increase their worldly pos- 
sessions, Paul is most probably engaged at his 
beloved work of preaching the gospel, as tra- 
dition makes him the founder of the Sicilian 
church. Eesuming the voyage, they find it 
necessary to sail by a circuitous route on ac- 
count of the winds; but the second day the 
wind blows directly in their favor, and they 
sail without danger between the famous rocks 
of Scylla and the whirlpool of Charybdis, and 
soon reach Puteoli, the chief port of Italy at 
the north-west corner of the Bay of Naples. 
Here they leave the ship, and Paul and his 
companions find a number of Christian breth- 



On the Way to Borne. 431 

ren who earnestly entreat him to remain with 
them for a few days; and doubtless they were 
permitted to do so, as Julius would be willing 
to accommodate his prisoners since he owed 
his life to the great apostle. The church at 
this place was planted by some earnest worker 
for the Lord, whose name is now unknown 
among men, and bears striking testimony to 
the zeal and diligence with which the early 
Christians "went everywhere preaching the 
gospel." This short visit doubtless greatly 
strengthened the church at Puteoli, and at the 
same time refreshed and encouraged the im- 
prisoned preachers. They were now about 
one hundred and forty miles from Borne, but 
the news of the apostle's coming had already 
reached the imperial city, and in order to do 
him honor and accord him a suitable welcome 
the church sends a delegation to meet him, 
which they do about forty miles from the city 
at Appii Forum, while a second delegation 
meets the approaching company some ten 
miles nearer at the Three Taverns. Seeing 
the interest manifested by these brethren, the 



432 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

old hero dismisses all anxiety from his mind, 
and renders thanks to God that his long-cher- 
ished desire is about to be realized; and he 
enters the great metropolis of the world not 
so much as a prisoner as a famous preacher 
accompanied by an escort of honor and sur- 
rounded by friends who will gladly aid him 
in proclaiming the gospel. 

Truths to be Treasured. 

God often selects ways that seem very 
strange to us for the accomplishment of his 
purposes. 

Trials bring out the beauty of the Christian 
character. 

He who sends the storm can control it. 

Faith shines brightest in the dark. 

The good man's influence is felt at all times. 

The wicked are often saved for the sake of 
the righteous. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

PAUL AT ROME. 

AS the toil-worn travelers approach the 
imperial city, and the great missionary- 
catches the first glimpse of its far-famed mag- 
nificence, his heart doubtless thrills with unu- 
sual emotion. The goal of his heart's highest 
ambition is now almost reached, and his long- 
cherished desire of preaching the gospel in 
Rome will soon be gratified. The warm wel- 
come accorded him by the church encourages 
and strengthens him for the work before him, 
so that although a nominal prisoner, yet under 
the guidance and guardianship of Providence 
he is afforded the most favorable opportunities 
of publishing the glad tidings of salvation. 
His very "bonds" served to advertise his 
preaching (Phil. i. 13), which resulted in many 
conversions, and among the number some of 
the emperor's own household (Phil. iv. 22). 

At the first opportunity the centurion delivers 

28 (433) 



434 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

his prisoners into the hands of the proper au- 
thorities, and having perhaps become a Chris- 
tian through his association with the apostle, 
he now exerts his influence in favor of his 
benefactor. This, coupled with the favorable 
report of the prisoner sent to the emperor by 
both Festus and Agrippa, secured for Paul 
special privileges. Placed in the custody of a 
Boman soldier, he was allowed to "hire" a 
house for himself; and though chained by one 
hand to his guard, he was permitted to preach 
the gospel to all who desired to hear him. In 
this " hired " house he remained for two years, 
supported by the government and by the vol- 
untary contributions of the church, which con- 
sidered itself fortunate to have such a pastor, 
even though he was a prisoner in bonds. As 
soon as he has sufficiently rested from his 
long, wearisome journey, and succeeded in se- 
curing suitable accommodations, the zealous 
preacher and patriotic Jew invites his country- 
men to a conference for the purpose of remov- 
ing from their minds, if possible, any misap- 
prehensions that they might have received. 



Paid at Rome. 435 



As a prisoner he naturally supposed that the 
people had imbibed prejudices against him 
through rumors that had reached them, and 
these he desired to correct in order that they 
might not check the influence of the gospel. 
With this object in view he begins by assert- 
ing his loyalty to the laws and ceremonies of 
the Jews, and then proceeds to recount the 
history of his arrest and imprisonment. Fe- 
lix, Festus, and Agrippa had all adjudged him 
innocent, and would willingly have set him at 
liberty. To avoid falling into the hands of his 
enraged countrymen, he appealed to Caesar; 
but not for the purpose of accusing the Jews, 
for whom he entertained only feelings of the 
kindliest character. It was to make this ex- 
planation, and to assure them that he was im- 
prisoned simply because he preached that 
Jesus of Nazareth was their long-promised 
Messiah, that he called them together; and he 
was doubtless greatly relieved and encouraged 
when his auditors assured him that they had 
never heard of the matters to which he re- 
ferred. The interview also afforded him the 



436 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

opportunity to preach the gospel to them, for 
his words aroused their curiosity to hear an 
explanation of the Christian religion. What 
little they knew of it was gathered from its 
enemies, and they naturally desire to hear 
what one of its most renowned advocates has 
to say in its favor. Accordingly they arrange 
for another interview; and when the appointed 
day came, curiosity to hear the strange preach- 
er concerning his strange doctrine drew to- 
gether quite a large crowd. For their accom- 
modation Paul gladly turned his dwelling into 
a church, and earnestly explained the prophe- 
cies in their reference to Christ, in whose life 
and death they had their unmistakable fulfill- 
ment; and so interested did both preacher and 
people become in the discussion that it was 
kept up the entire day, perhaps in the form of 
questions and answers. As a result of the 
discussion some were convinced of the truth 
of Christianity, while others, by reason of 
their prejudices, refused to accept the apos- 
tle's conclusions. Soon the audience are en- 
gaged in wrangling and heated debate among 



Paul at Rome. 437 



themselves; and finding them unwilling to 
listen longer to the glad tidings of the gospel, 
the earnest preacher gives them one last warn- 
ing drawn from a picture sketched by Isaiah 
centuries before. These warning words of the 
prophet are quoted no less than six times in 
the Gospels, as well as upon this occasion and 
in the Epistle to the Romans. Both Christ 
and Paul declare that the prophecy was ful- 
filled by the Jews of that age. They had be- 
come so sensual and corrupt that they delib- 
erately rejected the truth, lest it should force 
them to change their character and conduct. 

In Rome, as elsewhere, the old missionary 
makes his first offer of salvation to his own 



countrymen; but finding them belonging to the 
hardened class described by Isaiah, after thus 
solemnly warning them of their danger, he 
turns reluctantly away from them to preach 
the gospel to the more impressible Gentiles. 
This he has abundant opportunity to do, since 
he is compelled to remain in Rome for two 
long years. Roman trials proceeded very 
slowly, and this was especially true in Paul's 



438 Day-daw >i of Christianity. 

case. The papers containing his indictment 
were most probably lost in the shipwreck. To 
send back to Festus for new papers, and bring 
the necessary witnesses from Jerusalem, would 
require a long time. As a Roman prisoner he 
was protected from the malice of the Jews, 
and in the providence of God he was so situ- 
ated that he could carry out his long-cherished 
desire of preaching the gospel at Rome, and 
through his labors many, trophies of redeem- 
ing grace were gathered in the imperial city. 
During his long imprisonment his mind doubt- 
less often turned anxiously to the scenes of his 
former labors, wondering how the churches he 
had established were prospering, and how this 
individual and that was advancing in the di- 
vine life; and in lieu of the visit he is unable 
to make he writes letters to several of these 
churches. Prominent among them is the one 
addressed to the church at Ephesus, which 
was gathered from the heathen world by his 
own personal labors, and of which he was the 
pastor for three years. The object of the let- 
ter was to set forth the personal dignity and 



Paul at Borne. 439 



glory of Christ, the greatness of his salvation, 
and the unity of the divine family — themes 
with which the prisoner's mind was now more 
than ever occupied. But although thus writ- 
ing upon the grandest themes that the uni- 
verse can suggest, the faithful old preacher 
does not forget the children of his former 
charge. As he sits pen in hand in his distant 
prison home, he calls to mind the group of 
merry prattlers he had known and loved in 
other days, and knowing their peculiar dan- 
gers and duties he would secure them from 
the one by unfolding to them the other; and 
he addresses to them a message of valuable 
advice in language of the utmost simplic- 
ity. Besides this letter to the Ephesians he 
wrote one to the church at Colosse, which was 
founded perhaps by his " fellow-prisoner Epa- 
phras," from whom he received his information 
in regard to its spiritual condition. Since 
the imprisonment of their pastor the church 
had become heretical upon several important 
points, and it was to correct these heresies 
that the letter was written. About the same 



440 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

time a third letter was written, and addressed 
to a personal friend of the apostle, who was 
perhaps a member of the Colossian church. 
Some time before this one of his slaves by the 
name of Onesimus had run away, and going to 
Borne had been brought under the influence 
of Paul's preaching and converted. He at 
once confessed his sin against his master, and 
perhaps requested the apostle to write the let- 
ter for the purpose of making the necessary 
explanations to Philemon, and preparing the 
way for the penitent slave's return to his for- 
mer servitude. These three letters were all 
written about the same time — A.D. 62 — and 
intrusted to the care of Tychicus, one of 
Paul's most faithful companions and co-labor- 
ers (Acts xx. 4, Eph. vi. 21, Col. iv. 7, 2 Tim. 
iv. 12, Titus iii. 12), who was about to return 
to Asia Minor, and under whose charge the 
fugitive Onesimus was placed. From these 
letters we learn that the energetic old hero was 
by no means idle during his imprisonment. 
He preached daily perhaps to eager listeners, 
his very chains as they clanked upon his up- 



Paul at Rome. 441 



lifted hands giving solemn emphasis to his 
words; and history affords no more striking 
contrast than that of Paul thus preaching 
Christ under the very walls of Nero's palace. 
But in addition to these daily duties he had 
upon him the "care of all the churches." In 
the providence of God he was surrounded by 
many faithful helpers. Perhaps he found his 
old friends Aquila and Priscilla, from whom 
he had received such valuable assistance in 
other days, still members of the church in 
Rome. At least we know that he had with 
him Luke, Timothy, Tychicus, Aristarchus, 
Epaphras, Mark (Col. i. 17, iv. 7-14), and per- 
haps others, through whom he could commu- 
nicate with his brethren elsewhere by means 
of messages and letters. When Paul wrote his 
letter to Philemon the prospect was good for 
his speedy release from prison (Philem. 22), 
but a few months later important changes were 
made in Caesar's household. The pretorian 
prefect, in whose charge the prisoner had 
been so long kept, died, and his place was filled 
by a man of the vilest character. The infa- 



442 Day -dawn of Christianity. 

mous Nero divorced his young wife, Octavia, 
and married the profligate Poppsea, who was 
a proselyte to Judaism, and therefore hated 
Paul. These changes and others warranted 
the apostle in writing to his brethren in Phi- 
lippi to state that his case was by no means en- 
couraging (Phil. ii. 17, iii. 11). The letter 
to this church was written some months after 
those sent by Tychicus, perhaps during the 
second year of the apostle's imprisonment. 
This church had always been of special inter- 
est to Paul, not only on account of the memo- 
rable circumstances under which it was organ- 
ized, but also on account of its more sterling 
qualities and its thoughtful care of his neces- 
sities (Phil. iv. 15). It was but natural, then, 
as his thoughts wandered back over the past 
that they should fix themselves on this church, 
rendered so dear to him by reason of these 
associations, and that he should address to 
them a letter as a reminder of his interest in 
and love for them; and especially since they 
had recently proved their devotion to him by 
sending him a substantial token of their affec- 



Paul at Rome. 443 



tionate regard (Phil. iv. 18). Epaphroditus, 
a firm friend of the apostle and a member of 
the Philippian church, had, at great personal 
sacrifice, left his distant home and come to 
Kome for the purpose of seeing his old friend 
and bringing to him the contribution of the 
church; and taking advantage of his return, 
Paul sends a letter expressive of his apprecia- 
tion of their kindness, which was the more 
welcome because of their poverty (2 Cor. viii. 
1, 2). To encourage these beloved brethren 
in the midst of their persecutions (Phil. i. 28- 
30), and to heal some slight dissensions which 
had occurred among them (Phil. ii. 1-4, 12- 
14), were his objects in writing this letter. No 
church was more orthodox or more steadfast 
than that of Philippi, and none of Paul's 
Epistles are so joyful as this, though written 
amidst the gloom of a long imprisonment. 

In addition to these letters written to va- 
rious churches, the apostle perhaps also aid- 
ed Luke in preparing his history of the 
early Church, which was most probably writ- 
ten at Rome A.D. 63; but this history fails 



444 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

to give us an account of the termination of 
Paul's trial, and we are compelled to fall back 
upon tradition and a few hints in the pastoral 
epistles for our knowledge of the subsequent 
events of his life. It was the universal belief 
of the ancient Church that his appeal to Csesar, 
when finally heard, resulted in his complete 
vindication. Eestored once more to liberty, 
the old hero of so many thrilling events hur- 
ries away at the first opportunity to revisit the 
churches he had previously established (Phil, 
ii. 24, Philemon 22). These he encourages, 
instructs, comforts, or rebukes, as their char- 
acter and condition seem to require; and in 
this work he was apparently engaged about 
four years. At the end of that time, having 
left Timothy in charge of the church at Eph- 
esus, he writes him a letter from Macedonia 
A.D. 67, for the purpose of directing him in 
the management of the church, and instruct- 
ing him how to deal with the heresies then 
prevalent there. Not long after the apostle 
himself visits Ephesus, and from there sends 
a letter to Titus, who had been left in Crete 



Paul at Borne. 445 



in order that he might perfect the organization 
of the church there; and to guide him in the 
choice of officers and other features of this 
important work was the object of the letter. 
In the meantime the Roman authorities have 
learned to hate the Christians, having been 
taught by Nero to hold them responsible for 
the great fire which well-nigh destroyed the 
imperial city. From that day forward they 
were the victims of frequent persecution, and 
easily enough a pretext is found for arresting 
the prominent leader of the obnoxious sect, 
who is once more hurried away to Rome. 

But now his condition is in striking and 
melancholy contrast with what it was during 
his previous imprisonment. The danger is so 
great that but few of his former companions 
have the nerve to follow him (2 Tim. iv, 10), 
and he is treated with indignity and insult as 
a malefactor (2 Tim. ii. 9). Few of his friends 
dare visit him in his prison (2 Tim. i. 16), and 
none are willing to stand by him in the hour 
of his trial (2 Tim, iv, 16). In his last hours 
he clings to the few friends who have stood 



446 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

by him, one of whom is the faithful Luke, 
and another the brave Onesiphorus, who had 
come all the way from Asia to see him despite 
the difficulties and dangers he had to encount- 
er (2 Tim. i. 16, iv. 10). But as the old hero 
thus stands facing certain death his mind re- 
calls the pleasant associations of the past, and 
his loving heart is filled with an eager longing 
to see Timothy, his favorite friend and faith- 
ful companion in so many of his missionary 
labors. He is still in charge of the church at 
Ephesus, but in the hope that he may reach 
Home in time to receive the apostle's dying 
benediction, he hastily writes him a letter, 
which he sends by the hands of the faithful 
Tychicus (2 Tim. iv. 12). In this letter, which 
was written only a short time before his death, 
he urges Timothy to come to him with all pos- 
sible speed; but lest he might be too late to 
receive the parting counsels of his spiritual 
father, the letter is filled with faithful advice 
couched in words of inexpressible pathos and 
tenderness. We know not whether the young 
preacher reached Rome in time to see the old 
hero die; but if the Epistle to the Hebrews 
was written after that event, as many suppose, 
then it seems pretty clear that he bravely en- 
countered danger and threatened death in or- 



Paid at Rome. 447 



der that he might gratify this last wish of his 
faithful friend (Heb. xiii. 23); and although he 
thus willingly shared the apostle's chains, he 
escaped his fate. When the fatal hour ap- 
proached, Paul was fully prepared for it (2 
Tim. iv. 6-8), and marched forth to the place 
of execution more like a conscious conqueror 
than a condemned criminal. His privileges as a 
Roman citizen exempted him from the linger- 
ing tortures that were inflicted upon many of 
Ms brethren, and he was executed by decapita- 
tion in A.D, 68, the last year of the reign of 
the infamous Nero, who a few months later 
died the miserable death of a suicide. Weep- 
ing friends took up the corpse of the fallen 
hero, and deposited it beside other martyred 
forms in some dark recess of the catacombs; 
but no man knows the place of his burial. 

Besides his incessant labors in preaching 
the glorious gospel of Christ, this noble de- 
fender of the faith has bequeathed to the 
Church a legacy of incalculable value in his 
numerous writings; for of the twenty-seven 
books of the New Testament thirteen were 
written by the great missionary himself, and 
two others— the Acts of the Apostles and the 
Epistle to the Hebrews — under his influence 
and supervision, if indeed the latter was not 



448 Day-dawn of Christianity. 

the work of his own hand. But, besides the 
great "apostle to the Gentiles," there were 
many other faithful laborers in the apostolic 
age who by their active efforts set in motion 
influences which throughout all time will con- 
tinue to yield a harvest of rich result for the 
glory of God. From the pens of Matthew and 
Mark, John and Peter, James and Jude, as 
well as from those of Luke and Paul, dropped 
words of momentous import and priceless 
meaning, which to-day illumine the inspired 
page with a heavenly luster. And from these 
lives and letters have emanated an influence 
and a light which have grown stronger and 
brighter through the centuries that have come 
and gone, until what was two thousand years 
ago but the first faint rays of the early dawn 
has in this nineteenth century flooded the 
world with a transcendent glory, which is des- 
tined to deepen in intensity and widen in ex- 
tent until the last lingering shadow of igno- 
rance and sin shall be dispelled, and the re- 
deemed earth, "baptized with the Holy Ghost 
and with fire," shall rival heaven itself in un- 
sullied beauty and dazzling splendor. 

THE END. 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper proce 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: June 2005 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724) 779-21 1 1 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 382 829 3 9 




